lackluster

[ lak-luhs-ter ]
See synonyms for lackluster on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. lacking brilliance or radiance; dull: lackluster eyes.

  2. lacking liveliness, vitality, spirit, or enthusiasm: a lackluster performance.

noun
  1. a lack of brilliance or vitality.

Origin of lackluster

1
First recorded in 1590–1600; lack + luster1
  • Also especially British, lack·lus·tre .

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

How to use lackluster in a sentence

  • The sea had smoothed down to a lack-luster glaze, but it was less dreary than the heart of the baffled pursuer.

    The Incendiary | W. A. (William Augustine) Leahy
  • He could not read an examination paper, but he could interpret the symptoms seen in a trembling neck and a lack-luster eye.

    By Advice of Counsel | Arthur Train
  • He wondered how he could have fancied those lack-luster eyes beautiful or capable of expression.

    The Grain Of Dust | David Graham Phillips
  • With lack-luster eyes he remained motionless like a traveler in the desert who gazes upon a mirage.

    The Strollers | Frederic S. Isham
  • He grew restless, feverish, lost appetite and sighed at her with lack-luster eye across the dinner-table.