adv ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Adverb

1. 1
   In a dull manner; without liveliness; without lustre.

   "The parson, all unaware, dully pursued his calling, perched above the exquisite derision of their glances."

Adverb

1. 1
   without liveliness wordnet
2. 2
   without luster or shine wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms

coldlyendlesslyevenlyheartlesslyheavilyin a rut

Example

More examples

"From time to time lightning flashes, and thunder rumbles dully."

Etymology

From dull + -ly.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.