dullness
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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Alternative forms
Etymology
Pronunciation
Noun
dullness (usually uncountable, plural dullnesses)
- The quality of being slow of understanding things; stupidity.
- The quality of being uninteresting; boring; humorless or irksome.
- 1777, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, The School for Scandal, II.ii:
- 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—
- Lack of interest or excitement.
- The lack of visual brilliance; want of sheen.
- dullness of autumn
- (of an edge) bluntness.
- The quality of not perceiving or kenning things distinctly.
- dullness of sight, or of hearing
- (archaic) Drowsiness.
- 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]:
- Prospero: […] Thou art inclin'd to sleep. 'Tis a good dulness, / And give it way— I know thou canst not choose.
Translations
quality of being slow to understand
quality of being uninteresting
lack of visual brilliance
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