dulling
dulling — verb
- dullingpresent simple I / you / we / they
- dullings3rd person singular
- dullinging-ing form
- dullingedpast simple
1. to make a feeling of pain, sadness, or emotional intensity less strong or sharp,
to make a feeling of pain, sadness, or emotional intensity less strong or sharp, so that it becomes easier to bear; or for such a feeling to become less strong by itself.
The painkiller slowly dulled the ache in Lukas's lower back.
transitive use: medicine dulls physical pain
Years of working in a busy hospital had dulled Karim's emotional response to emergencies.
transitive use: experience dulls emotional reaction
Reema's disappointment was dulled by the sudden offer of a better position.
As the initial shock wore off, the sharp grief began to dull.
文法句型
dull + noun (pain/emotion)
dull (intransitive: feeling dulls over time)
用法筆記
Commonly used with nouns of negative emotion or physical discomfort: pain, grief, disappointment, anger, ache. The intransitive form describes a natural fading; the transitive form implies an external cause.
常見錯誤
2. to cause a surface, colour, or reflective object to become less bright, shiny, o
to cause a surface, colour, or reflective object to become less bright, shiny, or vivid; or for such a surface to lose its shine over time.
Constant sunlight had dulled the once-bright paint on the wooden gate.
transitive: sunlight dulls colour
The silver candlesticks had dulled after years of sitting in a damp cellar.
intransitive: metal dulls in dampness
Hyun sprayed a layer of varnish that dulled the vibrant colours of the painting.
The mirror's surface had dulled with age, softening every reflection.
文法句型
dull + noun (surface/colour/paint)
dull (intransitive: surface dulls)
用法筆記
Frequently used of metals, paint, mirrors, and photographic surfaces. The intransitive form often describes natural ageing or environmental exposure.
3. to take away the sharpness of a cutting implement such as a knife or pair of sci
to take away the sharpness of a cutting implement such as a knife or pair of scissors, stopping it from cutting well; or for a blade edge to grow blunt through repeated use.
Cutting through cardboard boxes quickly dulled the blade of Joaquín's new knife.
transitive: cutting dulls blade
Nkechi warned her son that using her sewing scissors on paper would dull them.
transitive: misuse dulls scissors
The old chef's cleaver had dulled after thousands of hours on the chopping block.
Using the kitchen shears to cut plastic packaging dulled them very quickly.
- blunt
more common in everyday use; interchangeable with 'dull' for blades
文法句型
dull + noun (knife/blade/scissors)
dull (intransitive: blade dulls)
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2 (LOSE SHINE): this sense applies to cutting edges only, not surfaces or colours. The intransitive form is common in descriptions of tool wear.
常見錯誤
dulling — adjective
- dullingpositive
- more dullingcomparative
- most dullingsuperlative
1. not interesting, exciting, or enjoyable in any way; making you feel bored.
not interesting, exciting, or enjoyable in any way; making you feel bored.
The three-hour lecture on tax law was so dull that Paul struggled to stay awake.
dull + event/lecture
Dario found the museum tour incredibly dull and kept checking the time on his phone.
find + object + dull
After the first season, the TV show became dull and completely predictable.
Liam's weekend was dull — he spent most of it doing laundry and filling out forms.
- boring
more conversational and direct; used at all levels
- tedious
suggests slowness and tiresome length beyond mere lack of interest
- monotonous
implies repetitiveness that causes boredom
- interesting
holding attention; the opposite of boring
- exciting
causing strong positive emotion or interest
用法筆記
This is by far the most frequent sense of 'dull'. Often used with events, tasks, books, films, conversations, and routines. Less strong than 'tedious' or 'monotonous'.
常見錯誤
2. lacking brightness, strong colour, or shine; appearing faded, dark, or muted in
lacking brightness, strong colour, or shine; appearing faded, dark, or muted in appearance.
The old photograph had faded to a dull shade of yellow and brown.
dull + colour shade
The sky was a dull grey, and rain seemed likely at any moment.
dull + weather/light
Jisoo chose a fabric in a dull blue that looked soft and understated.
The once-golden metal had become dull and covered in dark spots.
用法筆記
Describes visual appearance — weather, colours, surfaces, and lighting. 'Dull' sky means cloudy or overcast; 'dull' colour means low saturation, not vibrant.
3. (of a sound or a physical feeling) not sharp, loud, or clearly defined; low in i
(of a sound or a physical feeling) not sharp, loud, or clearly defined; low in intensity and often lasting a long time.
Nkechi felt a dull ache in her knee whenever the weather grew cold and damp.
collocation: dull ache
A dull thud came from the flat above, followed by complete silence.
collocation: dull thud
A dull pressure behind his eyes made reading hard, but the pain was not sharp.
From the basement came a dull boom that shook the floorboards beneath Lukas's feet.
用法筆記
Commonly paired with nouns for body sensations (ache, pain, pressure) and impact sounds (thud, thump, boom). The opposite would be 'sharp', 'piercing', or 'ringing'.
常見錯誤
4. not quick to understand, learn, or think; lacking mental sharpness or intelligen
not quick to understand, learn, or think; lacking mental sharpness or intelligence.
The teacher tried to be patient with the duller students, repeating each step slowly.
comparative: duller students
Karim felt dull and unfocused after two nights of very little sleep.
temporary state: feel + dull
The textbook repeated every concept three times, as if written for the dullest possible reader.
Amihan felt dull and groggy all morning after the long-haul flight from Manila.
- slow
gentler and more common; less harsh than 'dull'
- dim-witted
informal and somewhat dismissive
- stupid
stronger and more direct; can be offensive
用法筆記
Can describe either a permanent trait or a temporary state (as in Karim's example). This sense can be offensive when applied to a person's general intelligence — use with caution.
常見錯誤
5. having a cutting edge or point that is not sharp enough to cut or pierce easily;
having a cutting edge or point that is not sharp enough to cut or pierce easily; blunt.
The kitchen knife was so dull that it could not slice a ripe tomato.
so + dull + that-clause
Paul tried to carve the chicken with a dull blade and tore the meat apart.
dull blade + result
Tamar sharpened the dull axe on a whetstone before heading out to chop wood.
The scissors were so dull that Jisoo tore the fabric instead of cutting it.
- blunt
more common in everyday English; interchangeable with 'dull' for blades
- sharp
having a fine edge able to cut easily
用法筆記
The opposite of 'sharp'. 'Blunt' is the more common everyday word; 'dull' is slightly more literary for this sense. Applies to knives, scissors, axes, needles, and other edged tools.