lull

[ luhl ]
See synonyms for lull on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object)
  1. to put to sleep or rest by soothing means: to lull a child by singing.

  2. to soothe or quiet.

  1. to give or lead to feel a false sense of safety; cause to be less alert, aware, or watchful.

verb (used without object)
  1. to quiet down, let up, or subside: furious activity that finally lulled.

noun
  1. a temporary calm, quiet, or stillness: a lull in a storm.

  2. a soothing sound: the lull of falling waters.

  1. a pacified or stupefied condition: The drug had put him in a lull.

Origin of lull

1
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English lullen, of expressive origin; compare Swedish lulla, German lullen, Latin lallāre “to sing a lullaby”

Other words from lull

  • luller, noun
  • lull·ing·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use lull in a sentence

  • In the lulls, Robert and his mother exchanged bits of desultory conversation.

  • The woman knits and knits, and lulls you half to sleep, and then in a far-away voice asks questions.

  • I had seen him at Fort Pitt during one of those rare lulls between wars.

    A Virginia Scout | Hugh Pendexter
  • Intense cold lulls to somnolency, instead of rousing to activity.

    Theism or Atheism | Chapman Cohen
  • The duration of the lulls was ordinarily from a few minutes to several hours; that of March 19 was longer than usual.

    The Home of the Blizzard | Douglas Mawson

British Dictionary definitions for lull

lull

/ (lʌl) /


verb
  1. to soothe (a person or animal) by soft sounds or motions (esp in the phrase lull to sleep)

  2. to calm (someone or someone's fears, suspicions, etc), esp by deception

noun
  1. a short period of calm or diminished activity

Origin of lull

1
C14: possibly imitative of crooning sounds; related to Middle Low German lollen to soothe, Middle Dutch lollen to talk drowsily, mumble

Derived forms of lull

  • lulling, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012