dull 1 S3 / dʌl / adjective ( comparative duller , superlative dullest )
1 boring not interesting or exciting :
Life is never dull when Elizabeth is here.
a dull movie
It sounded pretty dull to me.
The weekly meeting tends to be deadly dull (= very dull ) .
Last week we had a hurricane. Never a dull moment running a hotel in the Caribbean (= it’s always interesting or exciting ) .
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In everyday English, people usually say boring rather than dull :
a long, boring film
2 colour/light not bright or shiny :
The bird is dull brown and gray in colour.
Her eyes were dull with dark shadows beneath them.
the dull afternoon light
3 weather not bright and with lots of clouds :
Outside the weather was hazy and dull.
a dull sky
4 pain a dull pain is not severe but does not stop OPP sharp :
a dull ache in her lower back
The pain was dull but persistent.
5 sound not clear or loud :
The gates shut with a dull thud .
6 knife/blade not sharp SYN blunt
7 not intelligent old-fashioned not able to think quickly or understand things easily SYN stupid :
If you don’t understand then you’re duller than I thought.
8 trade if business on the Stock Exchange is dull, few people are buying and selling OPP brisk
— dully adverb :
‘Well Michael?’ he said dully.
Her stomach ached dully.
— dullness noun [ uncountable ]