dull, blunt, obtuse mean not sharp, keen, or acute. dull suggests a lack or loss of keenness, zest, or pungency. DULL definition: 1.

Understanding the Context

not interesting or exciting in any way: 2. not clear, bright, or shiny: 3. (of weather, sky…. Learn more.

Key Insights

To dull something means to take away its edge, its energy, or its excitement. "Watching that movie will dull your senses, until you fall asleep." These adjectives mean lacking in liveliness, charm, or surprise: a dull, uninteresting performance; a colorless and unimaginative person; a drab and boring job; a humdrum conversation; a lackluster life; a pedestrian movie plot; a stodgy dinner party; an uninspired lecture. Dull feelings are weak and not intense. The pain, usually a dull ache, gets worse with exercise. I realized with a kind of dull shock that I didn't recognize a single name.

Final Thoughts

dull (third-person singular simple present dulls, present participle dulling, simple past and past participle dulled) (transitive) To render dull; to remove or blunt an edge or something that was sharp. Definition of dull adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. Dull implies a lack or a loss of keenness or sharpness: a dull razor or saw. Blunt may mean the same or may refer to an edge or point not intended to be keen or sharp: a blunt or stub pen; a blunt foil. He heard a dull [= muffled] thud.

She complained of a dull ache/pain in her knee. The paint has a dull finish. The dog had no appetite and its eyes were dull. The sky was a dull blue.