Dulled
/dʌld/noun
Past tense and past participle of dull, meaning made less sharp, bright, intense, or alert.
Did you know?The core idea behind dull goes back to an old Germanic root meaning “blunt” or “stupid,” showing how languages often turn physical sharpness into a metaphor for mental acuity.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*dulaz
“blunt, stupid”
Old English
OE
dull
“stupid, foolish; blunt”
Middle English
ME
dulle
“blunt, dim, sluggish”
Modern English
English
dull
“not sharp, bright, or keen; lacking interest or liveliness”
Modern English
English
dulled
“made less sharp, bright, intense, or active”