Phrase guide

dull as dishwater

adj · 1 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

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1

adj

Meaning 1

Boring; ordinary; exceedingly dull.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Qualifier: simile

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: boring as beans

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Modified from dull as ditchwater (1700s) in the first half of the 1900s, perhaps through mispronunciation.

Across languages

Translations

4 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: tylsä kuin mikä — extremely boring
  • Finnish: umpitylsä — extremely boring
  • French: chiant comme la pluie — extremely boring
  • Polish: nudny jak flaki z olejem — extremely boring