dull
English
/dʌl/, /dʌl/
adj
Definitions
- Lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp.
- Boring; not exciting or interesting.
- Not shiny; having a matte finish or no particular luster or brightness.
- Not bright or intelligent; stupid; having slow understanding.
- Sluggish, listless.
- Cloudy, overcast.
- Insensible; unfeeling.
- Heavy; lifeless; inert.
- (of pain etc) Not intense; felt indistinctly or only slightly.
- of a noise or sound Not clear, muffled.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English dull inherited from Old English dol (foolish, silly, dull, heretical, erring, presumptuous) inherited from Proto-Germanic *dulaz (foolish, stupid, crazy, dazed) inherited from Proto-Indo-European *dʰwel-.
Origin
Proto-Indo-European
*dʰwel-
Gloss
Timeline
Distribution of cognates by language
Geogrpahic distribution of cognates
Cognates and derived terms
- bedole English
- dull-headed English
- dull-witted English
- dullard English
- dullardly English
- dullardry English
- dullen English
- duller English
- dullery English
- dulleth English
- dullhead English
- dullish English
- dullishly English
- dullness English
- dullsome English
- dullsville English
- dullwit English
- dullwittedness English
- dully English
- fordull English
- head English
- headed English
- undull English
- wit English
- witted English
- Tollwut German
- liebestoll German
- mannstoll German
- supertoll German
- toll German
- tolldreist German
- tollkühn German
- wundertoll German
- dol Dutch, Flemish
- dolboord Dutch, Flemish
- dolen Dutch, Flemish
- dolgaarne Dutch, Flemish
- dolgraag Dutch, Flemish
- dolheid Dutch, Flemish
- dolhuis Dutch, Flemish
- dolleman Dutch, Flemish
- dollen Dutch, Flemish
- hondsdol Dutch, Flemish
- *dʰwel- Proto-Indo-European
- *dulaz Proto-Germanic
- *duljaną Proto-Germanic
- *dwalaz Proto-Germanic
- dol Old English
- dollen Middle English
- dull Middle English
- dullard Middle English
- fordullen Middle English
- undull Middle English
- tol Old High German
- *dol Old Dutch
- *dâli- Proto-Celtic
- duł Vilamovian