dull
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++dull1 /dʌl/ ●●○ S3 adjective (comparative duller, superlative dullest) 1 boring 乏味的BORING not interesting or exciting 无趣的，枯燥的，沉闷的，无聊的 Life is never dull when Elizabeth is here. 有伊丽莎白在这里生活绝不会无聊。 a dull movie 一部沉闷的电影 It sounded pretty dull to me. 在我听来，这很无聊。 The weekly meeting tends to be deadly dull (=very dull). 每周一次的会议总是十分无聊。 Last week we had a hurricane. Never a dull moment running a hotel in the Caribbean (=it’s always interesting or exciting). 上周我们这里刮飓风了，在加勒比海开酒店从来都不会有沉闷的时刻。► see thesaurus at boring RegisterIn everyday English, people usually say boring rather than dull: 在日常英语中,人们一般说 boring,而不说 dulla long, boring film 一部冗长而沉闷的电影2 colour/light 颜色/光CCBRIGHT not bright or shiny 暗淡的，不鲜明的 The bird is dull brown and gray in colour. 这只鸟是暗淡的棕灰色。 Her eyes were dull with dark shadows beneath them. 她的眼睛暗淡无光，挂着黑眼圈。 the dull afternoon light 暗淡的午后光线3 weather 天气DN not bright and with lots of clouds 阴沉的，昏暗的 Outside the weather was hazy and dull. 外面薄雾朦胧，天色灰暗。 a dull sky 阴沉的天空4 pain 疼痛MIPAIN a dull pain is not severe but does not stop 隐约的，轻微而持续的 OPP sharp a dull ache in her lower back 她后腰的隐痛 The pain was dull but persistent. 痛感不严重但一直持续。5 sound 声音C not clear or loud 不清楚的；沉闷的 The gates shut with a dull thud. 一声闷响，大门关上了。6. knife/blade 刀/刃TZSHARP not sharp 不锋利的，钝的 SYN blunt7 not intelligent 不聪明的STUPID/NOT INTELLIGENT old-fashioned not able to think quickly or understand things easily 愚笨的，迟钝的 SYN stupid If you don’t understand then you’re duller than I thought. 如果你不明白的话，那么你就比我原先想的还要笨。8. trade 交易BFS if business on the Stock Exchange is dull, few people are buying and selling 〔股市〕清淡的，交易不畅的 OPP brisk —dully adverb ‘Well Michael?’ he said dully. “怎么样，迈克尔？” 他木然地说。 Her stomach ached dully. 她的胃隐隐作痛。 —dullness noun [uncountable]
Examples from the Corpus
dull• Our neighbours are OK, I suppose, but they're so dull!• Here, use this knife - that one's dull.• We spent a dull afternoon with some of Harold's business associates.• My job is dull and boring.• Without the light from the screen, the condo room seems as dull and impersonal as a room in a Holiday Inn.• And their dull appearance is often accompanied by teaching methods that consist mostly of scribbling graphs on a blackboard.• This place gets really dull at times.• We are not employed just for work - dull, boring, monotonous work.• I'm afraid I must seem very dull compared with all those interesting people you meet.• Her hair was a dull, darkish brown.• When a plant changes color from bright green to dull gray-green, it needs water.• a dull headache• I hate all ordinary dull little people who aren't ashamed of being dull and little.• A dull look in his eyes.• A dull opening Wednesday on Wall Street kept stock prices at low levels.• A clean site that people can find their way around easily will always beat one that's complicated, dull or fussy.• Margaret has such a dull personality.• a dull student• It will be dry but dull this morning, with the possibility of showers later in the day.• His head hit the floor with a dull thud.• This kind of mindless work can become very dull very quickly.• They chose a red clay pot decorated with patterns in dull white paint.• Any animal species that happens to be superficially dull will be ignored, perhaps even maltreated.deadly dull• Suppose, for example, you regularly attend a weekly meeting which tends to be deadly dull.• Life in a small village could be deadly dull, and Henry had been absolutely charming when he chose to be.• He's a deadly dull little man as far as I can see.• To return to the example of the deadly dull meeting.dull ache• I am feeling much better, though there are many times when I feel a dull ache.• It ached an ugly, dull ache.• The pain in her lower back subsided leaving a dull ache.• They felt nothing but a dull ache in their backs.• Sleep away the tiredness and the dull ache inside his head, that was the thing to do.• It seemed that here, there was never any spring, only wind and rain and the dull ache of loss.• It starts as a dull ache that gradually evolves into a severe throbbing pain, centering in the frontal and temporal regions.• It wasn't really very bad but it was a dull ache that made her realise she would never get to sleep.dull thud• As he moved along the rows of guns, his wooden leg sounded dull thuds.• The gates shut behind him with a dull thud and the sound of the wind died away.• Almost immediately there was a dull thud as it fell on the floor.• Another dull thud behind his left knee.• The gunshots were no longer dull thuds echoing off the hill but reports, punctuated by the snapping of triggers.• There were dull thuds from the cargo hold.• Plastic produces a dull thud, while glass gives a high-pitched clink.dull2 verb 1 REDUCE[transitive] to make something become less sharp or clear 使麻木，使迟钝 He drank some alcohol to dull the pain. 他喝了些酒来减轻疼痛。 Her fear and anxiety dulled her mind. 恐惧和焦虑使她的头脑变得麻木了。2 [intransitive, transitive] to become less bright or loud, or to make something become less bright or loud （使）变得暗淡，（使）变低沉 His eyes dulled a little. 他的眼神变得暗淡了一些。 The constant rain dulled all sound. 连续不断的雨使得所有的声音都变低沉了。→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
dull• But those wines give only momentary pleasure and thereafter the senses are dulled and the mind is clouded.• As soon as a leaf dries, it begins to dull, lacking the luminescence that one full of juices has.• Three times a day, he takes medication to dull the pain from back problems.• Finally, the sweetness of the moment dulled the pain of knowing I had just placed my most cherished customer in jeopardy.• It swirled amongst the convent buildings, dulling the spirit - even mine after such a riotous night.• The streets are clean, there's no smog to dull the sunshine, and the skyscrapers don't overpower.• On surveying the organizational ranks, they see only low morale, divisiveness, cynicism, and dulled thinking.eyes dulled• Could it be that Albert's eyes dulled a little?From Longman Business Dictionarydulldull /dʌl/ adjective journalism if business on a financial market is dull, not many people are buying or sellingShares closed lower in dull trading.Investors were busy moving in and out of two-year Treasury notes yesterday, providing a bit of excitement to an otherwise dull session.Origin dull1 Old English dol Business or exciting Corpus interesting not
dull
dull1 S3 /dʌl/ 
adjective (comparative duller, superlative dullest)
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).
REGISTER
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]
dull2 verb
1. [transitive] to make something become less sharp or clear:
He drank some alcohol to dull the pain.
Her fear and anxiety dulled her mind.
2. [intransitive and transitive] to become less bright or loud, or to make something become less bright or loud:
His eyes dulled a little.
The constant rain dulled all sound.
| I |
adjective (comparative duller, superlative dullest) Language: Old English
Origin: dol
1. BORING not interesting or exciting:Origin: dol
REGISTER
In everyday English, people usually say boring rather than dull:
▪
2. COLOUR/LIGHT not bright or shiny:
3. WEATHER not bright and with lots of clouds:
4. PAIN a dull pain is not severe but does not stop
OPP sharp:
5. SOUND not clear or loud:
6. KNIFE/BLADE not sharp
SYN blunt
7. NOT INTELLIGENT old-fashioned not able to think quickly or understand things easily
SYN stupid:
8. TRADE if business on the Stock Exchange is dull, few people are buying and selling
OPP brisk
—dully adverb:
—dullness noun [uncountable]
| II |
verb1. [transitive] to make something become less sharp or clear:
2. [intransitive and transitive] to become less bright or loud, or to make something become less bright or loud:
boring not interesting; making you feel tired and impatient 指没有趣味的、令人厌倦或厌烦的 ：◆ He's such a boring man! 他那人无趣得很！ ◆ She found her job very boring. 她觉得自己的工作很无聊。 dull not interesting or exciting 指枯燥无味的、沉闷的 ：◆ Life in a small town could be deadly dull. 小城镇的生活可能会非常没意思。 tedious lasting or taking too long and not interesting, so that you feel bored and impatient 指冗长的、单调乏味的、令人厌烦的 ：◆ The journey soon became tedious. 那次旅行不久就变得乏味起来。
Patterns
to be boring/dull/tedious for sbboring/dull/tedious subjects/books boring/dull/tedious jobs/work/games a boring/dull place/man/woman/person deadly boring/dull
especially
boring not interesting; making you feel tired and impatient 指没有趣味的、令人厌倦或厌烦的 ：◆ He's such a boring man! 他那人无趣得很！ ◆ She found her job very boring. 她觉得自己的工作很无聊。 dull not interesting or exciting 指枯燥无味的、沉闷的 ：◆ Life in a small town could be deadly dull. 小城镇的生活可能会非常没意思。 tedious lasting or taking too long and not interesting, so that you feel bored and impatient 指冗长的、单调乏味的、令人厌烦的 ：◆ The journey soon became tedious. 那次旅行不久就变得乏味起来。
Patterns
to be boring/dull/tedious for sbboring/dull/tedious subjects/books boring/dull/tedious jobs/work/games a boring/dull place/man/woman/person deadly boring/dull