dulness

plural dulnesses

1. archaicuncountableusuallyArchaic spelling of dullness.

   When all signs of effusion, dulness, pain, œgophony, and cough had disappeared he was dieted, stimulated, and tonicked.

   1887, Medical Press and Circular, volume 94, page 461

   3 more examples

   He then sat down to contemplate, at his ease, that vivacity without motive, and without aim, which is found in most numerous assemblies; mediocrity in Italy is by no means a disagreeable character; it has little vanity, little jealousy, and much respect for superiority of mind; and if it fatigues with its dulness, it hardly ever offends by assuming.

   1807, [Germaine] de Staël Holstein, translated by D[ennis] Lawler, “[Book. IX. [The popular Festival, and Music.]] Chap[ter] III.”, in Corinna; or, Italy. […], volume III, London: […] Corri, […]; and sold by Colburn, […], and Mackenzie, […], →OCLC, pages 18–19

   At first it was downright dulness to Emma. She had never seen Frank Churchill so silent and stupid. He said nothing worth hearing — looked without seeing — admired without intelligence — listened without knowing what she said.

   1815 December (indicated as 1816), [Jane Austen], chapter VII, in Emma: […], volume III, London: […] [Charles Roworth and James Moyes] for John Murray, →OCLC, page 113

   A smack of all Human Life lies in the Tailor: its wild struggles towards beauty, dignity, freedom, victory; and how, hemmed in by Sedan and Huddersfield, by Nescience, Dulness, Prurience, and other sad necessities and laws of Nature, it has attained just to this: Grey Savagery of Three Sacks with a hem!

   1843 April, Thomas Carlyle, “chapter XIII, Democracy”, in Past and Present, American edition, Boston, Mass.: Charles C[offin] Little and James Brown, published 1843, →OCLC, book III (The Modern Worker)