dullness C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities Also spelled dulness US /ˈdʌlnəs/ UK /ˈdʌlnəs/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 noun the quality of being boring, blunt, or lacking sharpness The lecture's dullness sent half the audience to sleep. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · the quality of being... tediummonotonyboredombluntnessinsipiditybanality ↔ Opposites sharpnessbrightnessbrillianceliveliness Word family Related forms dulldullard Etymology AI details From 'dull' + the noun-forming suffix '-ness'. 'Dull' is from Old English 'dol' ('foolish, dull, stupid'). dol Old English View etymology graph -> Topics Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # dullness **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /ˈdʌlnəs/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈdʌlnəs/ ## Meanings 1. the quality of being boring, blunt, or lacking sharpness ## Examples - The lecture's dullness sent half the audience to sleep. ## Synonyms - tedium - monotony - boredom - bluntness - insipidity - banality ## Antonyms - sharpness - brightness - brilliance - liveliness ## Related Forms - dull - dullard ## Roots and Affixes - Root: dol ## Etymology From 'dull' + the noun-forming suffix '-ness'. 'Dull' is from Old English 'dol' ('foolish, dull, stupid'). ## AI Etymology Dullness is from 'dull' + the noun-forming suffix '-ness'. 'Dull' is from Old English 'dol' ('foolish, dull, stupid'). The immediate etymological form is Old English dol. The suffix -ness marks an abstract noun of quality or state, so the English form is shaped by recognizable word formation as well as by its inherited or borrowed base. In present use as a noun, it means "the quality of being boring, blunt, or lacking sharpness", keeping the historical formation close to the word's ordinary semantic work. Related words include dull and dullard. ## Topics - Describing Qualities - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown