dull

ennuyeux, monotone

Qui manque d’intérêt ou d’animation et provoque l’ennui.

En anglais simple : Not interesting or exciting, so it makes you feel bored.

• The film was dull.
• We spent a dull evening waiting for the rain to stop.
• Why are his lessons always so dull?

Synonymes : boring, uninteresting, tedious

Contraires : interesting, exciting

Expressions courantes : dull movie, dull conversation, dull life, rather dull

émoussé

Dont le bord ou la pointe ne coupe ou ne perce plus facilement.

En anglais simple : Having an edge or point that does not cut or pierce easily.

• This knife is dull.
• A dull blade makes cutting vegetables harder.
• Are these scissors too dull to cut the cloth?

Synonymes : blunt

Contraires : sharp

Expressions courantes : dull knife, dull blade, dull edge

terne, mat

Peu lumineux ou peu brillant.

En anglais simple : Not bright or shiny; having little light or shine.

• The metal looked dull.
• We walked home under a dull gray sky.
• The room was lit by a dull light.

Synonymes : dim, muted, lusterless

Contraires : bright, shiny

Expressions courantes : dull light, dull day, dull metal, dull gray

borné, lent

Qui met du temps à comprendre les choses ou à apprendre des idées nouvelles.

En anglais simple : Slow to understand things or learn new ideas.

• He considered the boy dull.
• The teacher unfairly called her a dull pupil.
• A quiet child should never be assumed to be dull.

Synonymes : slow, dim, unintelligent

Contraires : clever, bright

Expressions courantes : dull mind, dull pupil, rather dull

morose, abattu

Qui se sent triste, s’ennuie et manque d’énergie ou d’enthousiasme.

En anglais simple : Feeling bored, unhappy, and without energy or enthusiasm.

• I felt dull that morning.
• A visit from her sister lifted her dull spirits.
• He grew dull and unhappy during the long winter.

Synonymes : listless, downcast, low

Contraires : cheerful, lively

Expressions courantes : feel dull, dull spirits, rather dull

émousser, atténuer

Réduire le tranchant d’un bord, ou affaiblir une sensation, un sens ou une capacité mentale.

En anglais simple : To make an edge less sharp, or make a feeling, sense, or mental ability weaker.

• The medicine helped dull the pain.
• Cutting cardboard dulled the knife’s edge.
• Lack of sleep can dull your ability to think clearly.

Synonymes : blunt, deaden, weaken

Contraires : sharpen, heighten

Expressions courantes : dull the pain, dull the senses, dull a blade

s’émousser

Devenir moins tranchant et ne plus couper aussi facilement.

En anglais simple : To become less sharp and less able to cut easily.

• Cheap blades dull quickly.
• The razor dulled after a week of use.
• Will these scissors dull if I cut cardboard?

Synonymes : become blunt

Expressions courantes : dull with use, dull over time, dull quickly