Leaden
/ˈlɛd.ən/noun
Made of, resembling, or heavy like lead; also dull, sluggish, or depressing.
Did you know?In old symbolic systems, lead was linked with Saturn, the slowest and most oppressive planet, which helped make “leaden” a natural word for something spiritually and physically heavy.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*lewdʰ-
“to flow, wash”
Old English
EN
lēad
“lead, the heavy metal”
Old English
EN
lēaden
“made of lead; covered with lead”
Middle English
EN
leden
“of or like lead; heavy, dull”
Modern English
EN
leaden
“made of lead; sluggish, dull, or oppressive”