Etymology
Origin of lackluster
Explanation
Lackluster is a compound adjective that means what it sounds like: if something is lackluster it lacks luster; in other words, it is without brilliance, shine, or vitality. Think dull. Shakespeare gave us the compound lackluster, first using the term in his play As You Like It. In 2:7, the character Jacques says, "And then he drew a dial from his poke, And, looking on it with lack-lustre eye..." Since Shakespeare first coined this word, it has been used to describe anything "blah"; lackluster sales would worry shop owners and a lackluster prom dress might help you blend in with the wallpaper.
Vocabulary lists containing lackluster
100 SAT Words Beginning with "J," "K," and "L"
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This Week in Pop Culture: November 3 - 9, 2018
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Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 2
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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.
The sector is attractively priced after a lackluster year, and offers healthy dividends and robust earnings growth.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
Sales are down sharply and car-rental companies like Hertz that bet big on them have dramatically shrunk their EV fleets due to lackluster demand.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
Lenders have turned to bonds to pad out their assets amid lackluster demand for loans, a consequence of the sluggish economy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
The type of play by the Chargers on Sunday was completely unacceptable, lackluster and disappointing for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
Shirin Kellner was an expert chanter but a lackluster storyteller.
From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
