Standard Lemma guide

doldrum

adj · noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈdɒldɹəm/
  • General-American: /ˈdɑldɹəm/
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: D OW1 L D R AH0 M Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Boring, uninteresting.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • She quit her doldrum job and left to seek a life of adventure.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: humdrum

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A slothful or stupid person.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete, slang

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: dullard, addle-brain, addlehead, addle pate, airhead, baboon, beanbrain, beetlebrain, beetlehead, berk, bimbo, birdbrain, blockhead, blubberbrain, bonehead, Boeotian, boob, bozo, brainlet, brickhead, bubblehead, bubble brain, bufflehead, buffoon, Charlie, chowderhead, chucklehead, chump, cittern-head, clod, clodpate, clot, clown, crackhead, cretin, cuckoo, deadhead, dimbo, dim bulb, dimbus, dimwit, dingbat, ding dong, dingleberry, dingwad, dip, dipstick, doldrum, dolt, donut, doodle, doof, doofoid, doofus, dope, dork, drivel, drongo, drool bucket, dumb bunny, dumbbell, dumb cluck, dumbhead, dumble, dumbling, dumbnut, dumbo, dummkopf, dummy, dunce, dunderhead, dunderpate, eejit, fathead, featherbrain, fenderhead, fleabrain, fool, fopdoodle, galoot, gimboid, gomer, gonk, goober, goof, goofball, goofy, goon, goose, goosecap, gorbuson, gudgeon, halfwit, ha'porth, hammerhead, idiot, ignoramus, imbecile, inbred, jackaninny, jellybrain, jerk, juggins, jughead, knothead, knucklehead, lackwit, lamebrain, log, loggerhead, lummox, lunk, lunkhead, maroon, meatball, meathead, mental midget, mome, momo, mongoloid, mongtard, monkey, moron, mouth breather, muggins, mushhead, muttonhead, mutt, nimrod, nincompoop, ninny, ninnyhammer, nit, nitwit, noddy, noodlehead, numbskull, oaf, peabrain, peagoose, pillock, pigwidgeon, pinhead, plank, plonker, prat, put, putz, retard, sap, saphead, schmo, silly, simp, simpleton, smooth brain, snapperhead, sot, space cadet, spanner, stupe, stupid, stupid-head, tard, thickhead, thickskull, thicko, tomfool, tonto, toolbox, tosspot, turkey, twit, wally, wantwit, wazzer, wazzock, witless wonder, yo-yo, zany, Vulgar:, ass, assclown, asshat, asshead, asstard, asswipe, buttbreath, dildo, dipshit, donkey dick, Alternative spelling of dumbass., dumbfuck, dumbfucker, dumbshit, farthead, fuck-knuckle, fucktard, fuckwit, jackass, peckerhead, shitbrain, shithead, shitneck, shitwit, twat

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

The noun is possibly derived from dull or Middle English dold (past participle of dullen, dollen (“to make or become blunt or dull; to make or become dull-witted or stupid; to make or become inactive”), from dul, dol, dolle (“not sharp, blunt, dull; not quick-witted, stupid; lethargic, sluggish”); see further at dull), modelled after tantrum. The adjective is probably derived from the noun.