dullness en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (UK) audio
- /ˈdʌl.nəs/
Etymology
Etymology tree English dull Proto-Germanic *-in- Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ti Proto-Germanic *-ōną Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English dullness From dull + -ness.
Meanings
- (uncountable, usually) The quality of being slow of understanding things.
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(uncountable, usually) The quality of being uninteresting; boring; humorless or irksome.
If to raise malicious smiles at the infirmities or misfortunes of those who have never injured us be the province of wit or Humour, Heaven grant me a double Portion of Dullness—
1777, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, The School for Scandal, II.ii:
- (uncountable, usually) Lack of interest or excitement.
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(uncountable, usually) The lack of visual brilliance; want of sheen.
dullness of autumn
- (of an edge, uncountable, usually) bluntness.
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(uncountable, usually) The quality of not perceiving or kenning things distinctly.
dullness of sight, or of hearing
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(archaic, uncountable, usually) Drowsiness.
Prospero: […]Thou art inclin'd to sleep. 'Tis a good dulness, / And give it way— I know thou canst not choose.
1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| dullnesses | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| dulness | alternative, archaic | lexicographic |
Antonyms
psyche · brain · reason · head · intelligence · brightness · esprit · sharpness · acuity · mind · nous · smarts · wit · intellect · judgment · smartness · brains · cleverness · brightness
Synonyms
dullwittedness · dimness · dimwittedness
Translations (25)
ru ма́товость (lack of visual brilliance) · lv nespodrums (lack of visual brilliance) · ru ту́склость (lack of visual brilliance) · ru затупле́ние (bluntness of an edge) · fi tylsyys (quality of being uninteresting) · fr obtusité (quality of being slow to understand) · nl saaiheid (quality of being uninteresting) · ro mat (lack of visual brilliance) · fi tylsyys (quality of being slow to understand) · lv blāvums (lack of visual brilliance) · lv trulums (quality of being slow to understand) · ru тупоумие (quality of being slow to understand) · ro obtuzitate (quality of being slow to understand) · fi latteus (quality of being uninteresting) · ru вя́лость (quality of being uninteresting) · lv trulums (bluntness of an edge) · fi tylsän näköisyys (lack of visual brilliance) · ro dezinteresat (quality of being uninteresting) · ru туповатость (bluntness of an edge) · fi tylsyys (bluntness of an edge) · ro fără strălucire (lack of visual brilliance) · ro plictiseală (quality of being uninteresting) · ru нея́ркость (lack of visual brilliance) · fi tylsyys (lack of visual brilliance) · ru ту́пость (quality of being slow to understand)