dulls

Dulls is the third-person singular present tense of the verb dull. The verb has several related senses: to make something less sharp or blunt, to reduce brightness or gloss, and to lessen the intensity or clarity of something.

In physical contexts, a blade dulls with use; a tool can dull from repeated contact; a surface may dull its shine. In optics or color, light exposure can dull colors over time, and in audio terms, certain factors can dull the impact of a sound. In everyday language, phrases such as dulls the edge or dulls the senses are common.

Metaphorically, dull can describe a reduction in mental or emotional sharpness: the news can dull our enthusiasm, or a tedious lecture can dull the audience’s attention. When used as an adjective, dull describes something that is not sharp (a dull knife), not bright (a dull color or finish), or not interesting (a dull moment). The noun forms related to the verb are dullness and dulling, and the verb’s related forms include dulled (past tense) and dulling (present participle).

Usage notes: Dulls is not a separate technical term; its meaning derives from dull and is determined by context. For clarity, writers often specify what is being dulled—blade, color, edge, senses, or attention—to avoid ambiguity. See also dull, dullness, and dulling for related terms.