dulled 1 of 2

adjective

1
as in dull
lacking a surface luster or gloss it might be best to paint the exposed pipes with a dulled enamel

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2
as in faded
lacking intensity of color the dulled colors and brownish tones are characteristic of this painter's works

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3
as in blunted
lacking sharpness of edge or point the dulled blade of a knife that had been stored in a drawer full of miscellaneous utensils

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dulled

2 of 2

verb

past tense of dull
1
as in reduced
to reduce or weaken in strength or feeling the aspirin dulled his headache and he was soon feeling better

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2
as in bleached
to make white or lighter by removing color the painting's once-vivid colors have been dulled by time

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dulled
Verb
None of this ever accumulates much weight, however, since the conflicts are all dulled by the one-note absurdity of the farcical plotting. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2026 Then there is smell, dulled by our reliance on artificial fragrance; and sound, overwhelmed by notification pings. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 19 Sep. 2026 The flavor of the wine may be dulled, or an off or sour taste could develop. — Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 1 Sep. 2026 The sparkle in her eyes had dulled and her smile seemed forced. — Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2026 Decades of scrolling have dulled our senses somewhat; this is inevitable. — Literary Hub, 10 Aug. 2026 Imagine trying to swallow a sip of water while your face feels stuffed with congestion, your sense of taste is dulled and your body is floating 250 miles (400 kilometers) above Earth. — Sundeep Venkatesan, The Conversation, 3 Aug. 2026 Its ubiquity has dulled its wow factor, and buyers associate it with builder-standard. — Natasha Bazika, Martha Stewart, 31 July 2026 On a Friday morning drive to Jackson Park and the start of WNBA All-Star Game festivities, an overcast sky dulled the spectacular horizon line of Lake Michigan. — Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 24 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dulled
  1. dull
  2. faded
  3. blunted
  4. reduced
  5. bleached
  6. matte
  7. pale
  8. blunt
Adjective
  • This is a season so overwhelmingly dull that it’s taken three different gay guys to recap it.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Iñárritu seems to think this visual alone is funny, but that would require getting past the persistently dull and witless writing.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of dull
Adjective
  • This embroidered quilt is the epitome of fall style with its warm background and mix of leaves in faded brown and golden hues.
    — Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The quasi-patriotic palette got contemporary edge from faded lines running through the red and dark navy stripes, which shifted between vertical and horizontal directions.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of faded
Adjective
  • The results have been impressive enough from far away, but examined more closely as a blunted, external force, Big Brother has almost always been too literal in horror cinema.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 4 May 2026
  • Orientation matters; garlic is planted vertically, with the root (blunted) end of the clove facing down, and the sprout (pointy) end facing up.
    — Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 3 Mar. 2026
Definition of blunted
Verb
  • To help pay for its tax cuts, the act reduced Medicaid payments by a trillion dollars over the next decade, though it was designed to delay the full impact of the cuts until 2027, after this year’s elections.
    — Nicholas Lemann, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The agency reduced service earlier this year and has proposed more cuts in recent board meetings.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of reduced
Verb
  • Eco effort While over 80% of the reefs around the resort were bleached following the dramatic temperature rises of El Nino in 2016, the resort is throwing everything at its coral nursery and the green shoots are showing.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The large works seem to be on the verge of becoming ghostly, bleached by the same relentless Florida sunlight that makes Miami Beach so visually seductive.
    — Erin Parish, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of bleached
Adjective
  • The finish is a semi-matte—smooth, satin, and shine-free—that looks looks like velvet on the lips.
    — Kiana Murden, Vogue, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Its 85-inch QLED display features a highly matte anti-glare screen, so your art and movies look lifelike without annoying reflections.
    — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 11 Mar. 2026
Definition of matte
Adjective
  • Rocha developed Parker’s dress from an existing show piece, reworking its hand-laced, unraveling ribbons in a pale ballet pink intended as a nod to pointe shoes.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Wide, pale pink, satin ribbons were threaded loosely throughout the dress, culminating in bows at the shoulders.
    — Marci Robin, Allure, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of pale
Adjective
  • Welcome to a Monday Nightcaps — the one where Sophie Cunningham turns her attention to Missouri football and wears a hat that sends a simple, yet blunt message to the woman-hating WNBA girls.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Most interesting was the presence of linear fractures in 18 of the skulls (about 39 percent), suggesting blunt force trauma.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of blunt

Browse Nearby Words

dullards
dulled
dulling
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Cite this Entry

“Dulled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dulled. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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