dullness

plural dullnesses · alternative archaic dulness

1. uncountableusuallyThe quality of being slow of understanding things.

   Synonyms: dullwittedness, dimness, dimwittedness · Antonyms: sharpness, acuity, brightness, brain, brains, cleverness, head, brightness

2. uncountableusuallyThe 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

3. uncountableusuallyLack of interest or excitement.
4. uncountableusuallyThe lack of visual brilliance; want of sheen.

   dullness of autumn

5. uncountableusuallybluntness.
6. uncountableusuallyThe quality of not perceiving or kenning things distinctly.

   dullness of sight, or of hearing

7. archaicuncountableusuallyDrowsiness.

   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]