Dictionary Definition
dullness
Noun
1 the quality of being slow to understand [syn:
dulness, obtuseness]
2 the quality of lacking interestingness [syn:
dulness]
3 a lack of visual brightness [syn: dulness] [ant: brightness]
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Pronunciation
- /ˈdʌɫ.nəs/
- /"dVl.n@s/
Noun
- the quality of being slow to understand things
- the quality of being uninteresting
- the lack of visual brilliance
- In the context of "of an edge": bluntness
Extensive Definition
In medicine, shifting dullness
refers to a sign,
elicited on physical
examination, for ascites. If, on percussion,
the region of dullness (denoting ascites) shifts when the patient
is turned from supine
position to side-lying, they probably have fluid in the
abdomen. If the borders
between tympanic and dullness remain the same, the person likely
does not have ascites, or has less than 2 litres of fluid
present
Synonyms, Antonyms and Related Words
abruptness, absence of color,
acedia, achromaticity, achromatism, adynamia, aloofness, analgesia, anemia, anesthesia, angst, anguish, anxiety, apathy, aridity, aridness, ashiness, asininity, ataraxia, ataraxy, atony, autism, barrenness, benumbedness, blah, blah feeling, blahs, blockishness, bloodlessness, bluffness, bluntness, boobishness, boorishness, boredom, boringness, bovinity, cachexia, cachexy, cadaverousness, callousness, canescence, catatonia, cheerlessness, chill, chilliness, chloranemia, cloddishness, cold blood,
cold heart, coldness,
colorlessness,
coma, comatoseness, commonness, commonplaceness,
coolness, cowardice, crassness, crudeness, deadness, deadpan, dearth of ideas,
deathly hue, deathly pallor, debilitation, debility, denseness, density, detachment, dim-wittedness,
dimness, discomfort, discomposure, discontent, disinterest, dislike, dispassion, dispassionateness,
displeasure,
disquiet, dissatisfaction,
doltishness,
drabness, dread, drowsiness, dryness, dull-wittedness,
dullardism, dumbness, duncery, easy temper, electronarcosis,
emotional deadness, emotionlessness,
emptiness, enervation, ennui, etiolation, even temper,
existential woe, exsanguination, fadedness, faintness, fairishness, fairness, fatigue, feebleness, flabbiness, flaccidity, flatness, frigidity, frostiness, ghastliness, glaucescence, glaucousness, good temper,
gray, grayishness, grayness, grimness, grossness, haggardness, heartlessness, heaviness, hebetude, hopelessness, huelessness, humdrumminess, humdrumness, hypochromia, hypochromic
anemia, iciness,
immovability,
impassibility,
impassiveness,
impassivity,
imperception,
imperceptiveness,
imperceptivity,
impercipience,
imperturbability,
imperturbableness,
impotence, inanimation, inappetence, inconsiderateness,
indifference,
inexcitability,
inexcitableness,
infecundity,
infertility,
inirritability,
inquietude, insensibility, insensibleness, insensitiveness,
insensitivity,
insentience,
insipidness,
insouciance,
irksomeness,
jadedness, joylessness, lack of affect,
lack of appetite, lack of bite, lack of feeling, lack of pleasure,
lack of touch, lackadaisicalness,
lackluster, languidness, languishment, languor, languorousness, lassitude, leadenness, lenitude, lentor, lethargicalness,
lethargy, lifelessness, lightness, listlessness, lividity, lividness, long-windedness,
loutishness,
lumpishness,
malaise,
matter-of-factness, mediocreness, mediocrity, middlingness, moderateness, modestness, modesty, monotonousness, mousiness, muddiness, muffled tone,
mutedness, narcosis, narcotization, nausea, neutral tint, ninnyism, nonchalance, nongratification,
nonsatisfaction,
numbness, oafdom, oafishness, objectivity, obtundity, obtuseness, opacity, oscitancy, painfulness, paleness, pallidity, pallidness, pallor, passableness, passionlessness,
passiveness,
passivity, pastiness, patience, phlegm, phlegmaticalness,
phlegmaticness,
pins and needles, plainness, plucklessness, poker face,
prison pallor, prolixity, prosaicism, prosaicness, prosaism, prosiness, prostration, resignation, resignedness, respectability, sallowness, satedness, savorlessness,
self-absorption, sickliness, sickly hue,
silveriness,
simpletonianism,
slatiness, sleep, sleepiness, sloth, slothfulness, slowness, sluggishness, slumber, smokiness, smooth temper,
soberness, softness, somberness, somnolence, sopor, soporifousness, sottishness, soullessness, spiritlessness, spleen, spunklessness, staidness, staleness, steadiness, stoicism, stolidity, straight face,
strengthlessness,
stuffiness, stupefaction, stupidity, stupor, supineness, tastelessness, tediousness, tedium, thick skin,
thick-headedness, thick-wittedness, tiresomeness, tolerableness, tonelessness, toothlessness, torpidity, torpidness, torpitude, torpor, uncomfortableness,
unconcern, uncreativeness, unease, uneasiness, unembellishedness,
unemotionalism,
unexcitability,
unfancifulness,
unfeeling, unfeelingness, unhappiness, unidealism, unimaginativeness,
unimpressibility,
unimpressionableness,
unirritableness,
unnervousness,
unoriginality,
unpassionateness,
unperceptiveness,
unpleasure, unpoeticalness, unresponsiveness,
unromanticism,
unsatisfaction,
unsharpness,
unsusceptibility,
unsympatheticness,
unteachability,
untouchability,
vapidity, veiled voice,
vexation of spirit, voce velata, wanness, weakliness, weakness, wearifulness, weariness, wearisomeness, withdrawal, withdrawnness,
world-weariness, wrongheadedness,
yokelism