Standard Lemma guide

leaden

adj · verb · 10 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.

  • /ˈlɛdən/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɛdən
  • CMU ARPABET: L EH1 D AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of or related to the metal lead, particularly

Made of lead.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: lead, plumbic, plumbous, leady, saturnine

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Of or related to the metal lead, particularly

Resembling the color of lead, metallic or dark gray; (of daylight) dim, overcast.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

Examples

  • The sky was dark and overcast, a leaden pall producing a deep gloom.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: lead, plumbic, plumbous, leady, saturnine, bland, colourless, dim, dingy, dull, faint, lackluster, leaden, muddy, sad, sober, uncolorful, unholiday, wan

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Of or related to the metal lead, particularly

Resembling the density of lead, heavy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: lead, plumbic, plumbous, leady, saturnine

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Of or related to the metal lead, particularly

Resembling the ponderousness of lead, sluggish.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: lead, plumbic, plumbous, leady, saturnine

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To make or become dull or overcast.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: ambitransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective

Meaning 6

made of lead

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a leaden weight

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

adjective satellite

Meaning 7

darkened with overcast

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a dark day
  • a dull sky
  • the sky was leaden and thick

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: dull

Antonyms: none provided

8

adjective satellite

Meaning 8

lacking lightness or liveliness

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • heavy humor
  • a leaden conversation

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: heavy

Antonyms: none provided

9

adjective satellite

Meaning 9

(of movement) slow and laborious

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • leaden steps

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: plodding

Antonyms: none provided

10

adjective satellite

Meaning 10

made heavy or weighted down with weariness

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • his leaden arms
  • weighted eyelids

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: weighted

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English leden, leaden, from Old English lēaden (“leaden, of lead”). Cognate with West Frisian leaden (“leaden”), Dutch loden (“leaden”). By surface analysis, lead + -en.

Across languages

Translations

43 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: رَصَاصِيّ (raṣāṣiyy) — made of lead
  • Belarusian: свінцо́вы (svincóvy) — made of lead
  • Belarusian: валавя́ны (valavjány) — made of lead
  • Belarusian: алавя́ны (alavjány) — made of lead
  • Bulgarian: оло́вен (olóven) — made of lead
  • Czech: olověný — made of lead
  • Dutch: loden — made of lead
  • Finnish: lyijyinen — made of lead
  • German: bleiern — made of lead
  • Italian: plumbeo — made of lead
  • Latin: plumbeus — made of lead
  • Macedonian: оловен (oloven) — made of lead
  • Polish: ołowiany — made of lead
  • Portuguese: plúmbeo — made of lead
  • Russian: свинцо́вый (svincóvyj) — made of lead
  • Scottish Gaelic: luaidheach — made of lead
  • Serbo-Croatian: о̏ло̄ван — made of lead
  • Serbo-Croatian: ȍlōvan — made of lead
  • Slovak: olovený — made of lead
  • Slovene: svinčen — made of lead
  • Spanish: plúmbeo — made of lead
  • Spanish: plomizo — made of lead
  • Turkish: kurşun — made of lead
  • Ukrainian: свинце́вий (svyncévyj) — made of lead
  • Ukrainian: оли́в'яний (olývʺjanyj) — made of lead
  • Yiddish: בלײַען (blayen) — made of lead
  • Bulgarian: оловносив (olovnosiv) — pertaining to or resembling lead
  • Bulgarian: оловно сив (olovno siv) — pertaining to or resembling lead
  • Czech: olověný — pertaining to or resembling lead
  • Finnish: lyijyinen — pertaining to or resembling lead
  • Latin: plumbeus — pertaining to or resembling lead
  • Latin: plumbārius — pertaining to or resembling lead
  • Portuguese: plúmbeo — pertaining to or resembling lead
  • Portuguese: plúmbico — pertaining to or resembling lead
  • Scottish Gaelic: luaidheach — pertaining to or resembling lead
  • Spanish: plúmbeo — pertaining to or resembling lead
  • Spanish: plomizo — pertaining to or resembling lead
  • Finnish: lyijynharmaa — dull
  • Hungarian: ólomszürke — dull
  • Italian: plumbeo — dull
  • Portuguese: plúmbeo — dull
  • Spanish: cubierto — dull
  • Spanish: nublado — dull