dull

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• General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /dʌl/
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• US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• UK: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• Northern-England: /dʊl/
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• rhymes with -ʌl
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• General-American: /dʌl/
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• Ireland: /dʌl/
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• Ireland: /dul/
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• CMU ARPABET: D AH1 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
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From Middle English dull, dul (also dyll, dill, dwal), from Old English dol (“dull, foolish, erring, heretical; foolish, silly; presumptuous”), from Proto-West Germanic *dol, from Proto-Germanic *dulaz, from earlier *dwulaz, a variant of *dwalaz (“stunned, mad, foolish, misled”), from Proto-Indo-European *dhwel-, *dhewel- (“to dim, dull, cloud, make obscure, swirl, whirl”). Cognate with Scots dull, doll (“slow to understand or hear, deaf, dull”), North Frisian dol (“rash, unthinking, giddy, flippant”), Dutch dol (“crazy, mad, insane”), Low German dul, dol (“mad, silly, stupid, fatuous”), German toll (“crazy, mad, wild, fantastic”), Danish dval (“foolish, absurd”), Icelandic dulur (“secretive, silent”), West-Flemish dul (angry, furious).

* As a German surname, from dialectal tull (“stout, corpulent”) (see the adjective doll), or a variant of Thiel. See Duell. * As a Scottish surname, it is a habitational name from Dull in Perthshire (see Etymology 2). * As an English surname, variant of Dill, Doel.

Possibly from Pictish [Term?], cognate with Proto-Brythonic *dol (“meadow”).

Probably from Irish dul, dol (“loop, noose, snare”).

335 source translations are retained for this English entry.

• Acehnese: tumpoi — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Arabic: كَلِيل (kalīl) — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Armenian: բութ (butʻ) — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Azerbaijani: küt — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Belarusian: тупы́ (tupý) — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Bulgarian: тъп (tǎp) — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Burmese: တုံး (tum:) — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Catalan: rom — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Catalan: esmussat — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Chinese Mandarin: 鈍 /钝 (dùn) — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Czech: tupý — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Danish: sløv — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Dutch: bot — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Dutch: stomp — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Erzya: ношка (noška) — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Esperanto: malakra — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Finnish: tylsä — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• French: émoussé — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Galician: boto — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Galician: zocho — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Galician: mocho — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Galician: esnafrado — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Georgian: ბლაგვი (blagvi) — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Georgian: გაულესავი (gaulesavi) — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• German: stumpf — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Greek: αμβλύς (amvlýs) — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Ancient Greek: ἀμβλύς (amblús) — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Hebrew: קֵהֶה (kehe) — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Hindi: कुंद (kund) — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Hungarian: tompa — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Ido: obtuza — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Indonesian: tumpul — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Ingrian: tyltsä — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Ingrian: nyrhi — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Ingrian: tylppä — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Interlingua: obtuse — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Italian: spuntato — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Italian: smussato — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Japanese: 鈍い (nibui) — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Kashubian: tãpi — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Korean: 무디다 (mudida) — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Central Kurdish: کول (kul) — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Latgalian: naoss — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Latin: hebes — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Latin: retūsus — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Latvian: truls — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Latvian: neass — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Luxembourgish: stompeg — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Macedonian: тап (tap) — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Māori: pūhuki — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Māori: pūhoi — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Moksha: ношка (noška) — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Navajo: doo deení da — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Norwegian Bokmål: sløv — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Norwegian Nynorsk: sløv — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Norwegian Nynorsk: slø — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Polish: tępy — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Portuguese: cego — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Portuguese: embotado — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Rapa Nui: puni — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Romanian: tocit — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Romanian: bont — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Russian: тупо́й (tupój) — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Serbo-Croatian: ту̑п — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Serbo-Croatian: tȗp — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Slovak: tupý — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Slovene: top — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Lower Sorbian: tupy — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Upper Sorbian: tupy — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Spanish: romo — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Spanish: desafilado — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Spanish: embotado — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Spanish: enromado — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Sundanese: mentud — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Swedish: oskarp — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Swedish: slö — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Tagalog: mapurol — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Thai: ทื่อ (tʉ̂ʉ) — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Turkish: kör — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Turkish: küt — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Ottoman Turkish: كور (kör) — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Ukrainian: тупи́й (tupýj) — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Vietnamese: cùn — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Vietnamese: cùi — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Walloon: diswijhî — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Zealandic: bot — lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp
• Armenian: ձանձրալի (janjrali) — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Bulgarian: ску́чен (skúčen) — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Catalan: insuls — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Catalan: fat — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Chinese Mandarin: 無聊 /无聊 (wúliáo) — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Chinese Mandarin: 枯燥 (kūzào) — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Czech: fádní — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Danish: kedelig — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Dutch: saai — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Esperanto: enuiga — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Faroese: keðiligur — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Finnish: tylsä — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Finnish: vaisu — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Finnish: pitkäveteinen — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Finnish: ikävystyttävä — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• French: ennuyeux — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• French: barbant — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Galician: eslamiado — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Galician: anódino — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• German: fad — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• German: langweilig — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Greek: βαρετός (varetós) — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Greek: μουντός (mountós) — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Hebrew: מְשַׁעֲמֵם (meshaámem) — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Italian: noioso — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Italian: soporifero — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Italian: tedioso — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Italian: monotono — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Japanese: 退屈な (taikutsu na) — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Japanese: つまらない (tsumaranai) — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Luxembourgish: fad — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Luxembourgish: langweileg — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Māori: mākihakiha — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Māori: takeo — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Māori: hihikokore — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Norwegian: kjedelig — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Polish: nudny — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Portuguese: entediante — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Portuguese: chato — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Portuguese: enfadonho — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Portuguese: maçante — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Portuguese: sem graça — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Romanian: banal — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Romanian: plictisitor — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Russian: ску́чный (skúčnyj) — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Slovene: dolgočásen — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Spanish: soso — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Spanish: insulso — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Spanish: desabrido — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Spanish: sin gracia — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Spanish: chirle — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Spanish: monse — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Swedish: tråkig — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Turkish: sıkıcı — boring, not exciting or interesting — see also boring, insipid
• Bulgarian: ма́тов (mátov) — not shiny
• Chinese Mandarin: 暗淡 (àndàn) — not shiny
• Danish: mat — not shiny
• Dutch: mat — not shiny
• Estonian: tuhm — not shiny
• Finnish: himmeä — not shiny
• French: mat — not shiny
• French: terne — not shiny
• Georgian: მკრთალი (mḳrtali) — not shiny
• Georgian: მქრქალი (mkrkali) — not shiny
• German: matt — not shiny
• German: stumpf — not shiny
• Greek: μουντός (mountós) — not shiny
• Greek: φαιός (faiós) — not shiny
• Irish: neamhlonrach — not shiny
• Irish: modartha — not shiny
• Italian: opaco — not shiny
• Latvian: blāvs — not shiny
• Latvian: nespodrs — not shiny
• Luxembourgish: blatzeg — not shiny
• Māori: waimeha — not shiny
• Māori: horotea — not shiny
• Māori: pīatakore — not shiny
• Māori: mōhanihani — not shiny
• Norwegian: matt — not shiny
• Polish: matowy — not shiny
• Portuguese: fosco — not shiny
• Portuguese: fusco — not shiny
• Romanian: mat — not shiny
• Russian: ту́склый (túsklyj) — not shiny
• Russian: ма́товый (mátovyj) — not shiny
• Lower Sorbian: śamny — not shiny
• Swedish: matt — not shiny
• Turkish: mat — not shiny
• Zazaki: mat — not shiny
• Armenian: բութ (butʻ) — not bright or intelligent
• Azerbaijani: qanmaz — not bright or intelligent
• Bulgarian: тъп (tǎp) — not bright or intelligent
• Chinese Mandarin: 蠢 (chǔn) — not bright or intelligent
• Czech: natvrdlý — not bright or intelligent
• Danish: dum — not bright or intelligent
• Dutch: dom — not bright or intelligent
• Esperanto: malbrila — not bright or intelligent
• Estonian: nõme — not bright or intelligent
• Finnish: hidasjärkinen — not bright or intelligent
• Finnish: yksinkertainen — not bright or intelligent
• Finnish: tylsäjärkinen — not bright or intelligent
• Finnish: tylsä — not bright or intelligent
• French: sot — not bright or intelligent
• French: obtus — not bright or intelligent
• French: idiot — not bright or intelligent
• German: blöd — not bright or intelligent
• German: blöde — not bright or intelligent
• German: dumm — not bright or intelligent
• German: dumpf — not bright or intelligent
• Greek: χαζός (chazós) — not bright or intelligent
• Ancient Greek: μωρός (mōrós) — not bright or intelligent
• Italian: ottuso — not bright or intelligent
• Italian: tardo — not bright or intelligent
• Japanese: 鈍い (nibui) — not bright or intelligent
• Japanese: 鈍い (noroi) — not bright or intelligent
• Latin: brūtus — not bright or intelligent
• Latin: fatuus — not bright or intelligent
• Latin: idiōta — not bright or intelligent
• Latin: stultus — not bright or intelligent
• Luxembourgish: domm — not bright or intelligent
• Luxembourgish: topeg — not bright or intelligent
• Māori: mātotoru — not bright or intelligent
• Māori: rare — not bright or intelligent
• Māori: pūhoi — not bright or intelligent
• Māori: pongipongi — not bright or intelligent
• Norwegian: dum — not bright or intelligent
• Polish: tępy — not bright or intelligent
• Portuguese: estúpido — not bright or intelligent
• Portuguese: fátuo — not bright or intelligent
• Portuguese: imbecil — not bright or intelligent
• Portuguese: idiota — not bright or intelligent
• Romanian: obtuz — not bright or intelligent
• Russian: тупо́й (tupój) — not bright or intelligent
• Russian: глу́пый (glúpyj) — not bright or intelligent
• Spanish: corto — not bright or intelligent
• Spanish: limitado — not bright or intelligent
• Spanish: soso — not bright or intelligent
• Swedish: oskarp — not bright or intelligent
• Swedish: trög — not bright or intelligent
• Zazaki: nêxapêyen — not bright or intelligent
• Finnish: kankea — sluggish, listless, vapid, insipid
• Finnish: hidas — sluggish, listless, vapid, insipid
• Finnish: kömpelö — sluggish, listless, vapid, insipid
• Finnish: ponneton — sluggish, listless, vapid, insipid
• Irish: marbhánta — sluggish, listless, vapid, insipid
• Māori: takurutu — sluggish, listless, vapid, insipid
• Māori: pōngenge — sluggish, listless, vapid, insipid
• Māori: pōrori — sluggish, listless, vapid, insipid
• Māori: pōuruuru — sluggish, listless, vapid, insipid
• Māori: pūhoi — sluggish, listless, vapid, insipid
• Catalan: ennuvolat — cloudy, overcast
• Chinese Mandarin: 陰沉 /阴沉 (yīnchén) — cloudy, overcast
• Finnish: pilvinen — cloudy, overcast
• Finnish: synkkä — cloudy, overcast
• German: trüb — cloudy, overcast
• Irish: modartha — cloudy, overcast
• Italian: fosco — cloudy, overcast
• Italian: nuvoloso — cloudy, overcast
• Luxembourgish: flemmseg — cloudy, overcast
• Māori: kēkēao — cloudy, overcast
• Māori: kōngū — cloudy, overcast
• Māori: kōruki — cloudy, overcast
• Māori: whakaipuipu — cloudy, overcast
• Māori: kōipuipu — cloudy, overcast
• Māori: kōruru — cloudy, overcast
• Portuguese: nublado — cloudy, overcast
• Spanish: cubierto — cloudy, overcast
• Finnish: tunteeton — insensible; unfeeling
• Finnish: turta — insensible; unfeeling
• Czech: těžkopádný — heavy, lifeless, inert
• Finnish: vaimea — of pain: not intense
• Finnish: lievä — of pain: not intense
• Swedish: dov — of pain: not intense
• Chinese Mandarin: 沉悶 /沉闷 (chénmèn) — not clear, muffled
• Finnish: vaimea — not clear, muffled
• Finnish: vaisu — not clear, muffled
• French: sourd — not clear, muffled
• Spanish: sordo — not clear, muffled
• Ottoman Turkish: صاغر (sağır) — not clear, muffled
• Bulgarian: притъпявам (pritǎpjavam) — to render dull
• Catalan: esmussar — to render dull
• Esperanto: malakrigi — to render dull
• Finnish: tylsyttää — to render dull
• Finnish: tylstyttää — to render dull
• French: émousser — to render dull
• French: user — to render dull
• German: abstumpfen — to render dull
• Greek: αμβλύνω (amvlýno) — to render dull
• Ancient Greek: ἀμβλύνω (amblúnō) — to render dull
• Italian: smussare — to render dull
• Norwegian: sløve — to render dull
• Polish: stępić — to render dull
• Portuguese: cegar — to render dull
• Portuguese: desafiar — to render dull
• Romanian: toci — to render dull
• Russian: тупи́ть (tupítʹ) — to render dull
• Russian: иступи́ть (istupítʹ) — to render dull
• Russian: затупля́ть (zatupljátʹ) — to render dull
• Russian: затупи́ть (zatupítʹ) — to render dull
• Spanish: mellar — to render dull
• Spanish: desafilar — to render dull
• Spanish: deslustrar — to render dull
• Spanish: enromar — to render dull
• Spanish: embotar — to render dull
• Bulgarian: смекчавам (smekčavam) — to soften, moderate or blunt
• Catalan: alleujar — to soften, moderate or blunt
• Catalan: esmorteir — to soften, moderate or blunt
• Catalan: moderar — to soften, moderate or blunt
• Chinese Mandarin: 软化 (ruǎnhuà) — to soften, moderate or blunt
• Finnish: lievittää — to soften, moderate or blunt
• Finnish: lieventää — to soften, moderate or blunt
• Finnish: tylsistyttää — to soften, moderate or blunt
• Finnish: tyhmentää — to soften, moderate or blunt
• Finnish: sumentaa — to soften, moderate or blunt
• French: adoucir — to soften, moderate or blunt
• French: modérer — to soften, moderate or blunt
• French: amortir — to soften, moderate or blunt
• French: assourdir — to soften, moderate or blunt
• French: engourdir — to soften, moderate or blunt
• German: abstumpfen — to soften, moderate or blunt
• Greek: αμβλύνω (amvlýno) — to soften, moderate or blunt
• Māori: whakahinamoe — to soften, moderate or blunt
• Portuguese: suavizar — to soften, moderate or blunt
• Russian: притупля́ть (pritupljátʹ) — to soften, moderate or blunt
• Russian: притупи́ть (pritupítʹ) — to soften, moderate or blunt
• Spanish: aliviar — to soften, moderate or blunt
• Spanish: alivianar — to soften, moderate or blunt
• Spanish: moderar — to soften, moderate or blunt
• Spanish: amortiguar — to soften, moderate or blunt
• Spanish: atenuar — to soften, moderate or blunt
• Spanish: apagar — to soften, moderate or blunt
• Swedish: döva — to soften, moderate or blunt
• Swedish: dämpa — to soften, moderate or blunt
• Bulgarian: притъпявам се (pritǎpjavam se) — to become dull
• Catalan: esmussar-se — to become dull
• Chinese Mandarin: 钝化 (dùnhuà) — to become dull
• Finnish: tylsyä — to become dull
• Finnish: tylstyä — to become dull
• French: émousser — to become dull
• French: user — to become dull
• German: abstumpfen — to become dull
• Polish: stępić się — to become dull
• Portuguese: desafiar — to become dull
• Romanian: toci — to become dull
• Russian: затупля́ться (zatupljátʹsja) — to become dull
• Russian: затупи́ться (zatupítʹsja) — to become dull
• Spanish: embotarse — to become dull
• Spanish: enromarse — to become dull
• Spanish: desafilarse — to become dull