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Synonyms

dull as dishwater

Idioms  

  1. Boring, tedious, as in That lecture was dull as dishwater. The original simile, dull as ditchwater, dating from the 1700s, alluded to the muddy water in roadside ditches. In the first half of the 1900s, perhaps through mispronunciation, it became dishwater, that is, the dingy, grayish water in which dirty dishes had soaked.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He was dull as dishwater compared to many of the others vying for the nomination, and nobody had ever really considered him presidential timber.

From Salon • Dec. 30, 2022

Perhaps dull as dishwater, Mendelson is nonetheless as steady as they come in a council chamber where there’s hardly a dull moment.

From Washington Post • Oct. 15, 2021

I think something very important to remember is that we do not see good mother-in-law relationships in pop culture because good mothers-in-law are dull as dishwater from a comedic perspective.

From Slate • Jun. 19, 2020

I find him dull as dishwater; his brother had a bit of sparkle.

From US News • Nov. 16, 2015

This one may be interesting but badly written, or it may be beautifully expressed and as dull as dishwater.

From Harper's Round Table, August 6, 1895 by Various

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.