dull

退屈な、つまらない

興味やわくわくする気持ちを引き起こさず、飽きさせる。

やさしい英語で： 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?

類義語： boring, uninteresting, tedious

反対語： interesting, exciting

よく使う表現： dull movie, dull conversation, dull life, rather dull

切れ味の悪い、鈍い

刃や先端が鋭くなく、簡単に切ったり穴を開けたりできない。

やさしい英語で： 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?

類義語： blunt

反対語： sharp

よく使う表現： dull knife, dull blade, dull edge

くすんだ、どんよりした

明るさや光沢が乏しく、輝きがない。

やさしい英語で： 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.

類義語： dim, muted, lusterless

反対語： bright, shiny

よく使う表現： dull light, dull day, dull metal, dull gray

理解の遅い、鈍い

物事を理解したり新しい考えを学んだりするのに時間がかかる。

やさしい英語で： 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.

類義語： slow, dim, unintelligent

反対語： clever, bright

よく使う表現： dull mind, dull pupil, rather dull

気が沈んだ、元気のない

退屈で気分が晴れず、元気や意欲がない。

やさしい英語で： 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.

類義語： listless, downcast, low

反対語： cheerful, lively

よく使う表現： feel dull, dull spirits, rather dull

鈍らせる、和らげる

刃の鋭さを落としたり、感情や感覚、思考の働きを弱めたりする。

やさしい英語で： 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.

類義語： blunt, deaden, weaken

反対語： sharpen, heighten

よく使う表現： dull the pain, dull the senses, dull a blade

切れ味が落ちる、鈍る

鋭さが失われ、以前ほど簡単に切れなくなる。

やさしい英語で： 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?

類義語： become blunt

よく使う表現： dull with use, dull over time, dull quickly