leaden

[ led-n ]

/ ˈlɛd n /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR leaden ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

inertly heavy like lead; hard to lift or move: a leaden weight; leaden feet.

dull, spiritless, or gloomy, as in mood or thought: leaden prose; a leaden atmosphere.

of a dull gray color: leaden skies.

oppressive; heavy: a leaden silence.

sluggish; listless: They moved at a leaden pace.

of poor quality or little value.

made or consisting of lead.

verb (used with object)

to make leaden, sluggish, dull, etc.: Fatigue had leadened his brain and step.

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?

Question 1 of 10

decorum

the act of or need for making up one's mind.

dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.

a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.

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Origin of leaden

before 1000; Middle English leden, Old English lēaden. See lead², -en²

OTHER WORDS FROM leaden

lead·en·ly, adverblead·en·ness, noun

Words nearby leaden

lead-pipe cinch, lead-up, leadbeater's cockatoo, leadbelly, leaded, leaden, leader, leader block, leader board, leader cable, leader head

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for leaden

That there was a way to tell the story and not have been leaden—not be a chore or an ordeal.
Steve Coogan Makes His Bid For Some Serious, Dramatic Roles|Andrew Romano|November 29, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The Romney-Ryan Medicare proposal is stunningly unpopular—and Romney left the debate firmly lashed to its leaden weight.
Romney Won the Debate but it Was No Game Changer|Robert Shrum|October 4, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The sky was covered with leaden clouds and the rain came down in torrents.
Empires and Emperors of Russia, China, Korea, and Japan|Pter Vay
He took the letter and read it when, an hour later, the Idaho was plowing her lazy way southward through a dull and leaden sea.
A Wounded Name|Charles King

Dilute nitric acid is then poured through the funnel and leaden pipe.
Water Supply: the Present Practice of Sinking and Boring Wells|Ernest Spon
Despite the leaden coffin, the stench was such that several persons fainted.
A History of the Inquisition of Spain; vol. 4|Henry Charles Lea
As a matter of truth, Jack Potter was beginning to find the shadow of a deed weigh upon him like a leaden slab.
The Open Boat and Other Stories|Stephen Crane

British Dictionary definitions for leaden

leaden

/ (ˈlɛdən) /

adjective

heavy and inert

laboured or sluggishleaden steps

gloomy, spiritless, or lifeless

made partly or wholly of lead

of a dull greyish coloura leaden sky

Derived forms of leaden

leadenly, adverbleadenness, noun

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

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WORD OF THE DAY

leaden

adjective

verb (used with object)

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

Origin of leaden

OTHER WORDS FROM leaden

Words nearby leaden

Example sentences from the Web for leaden

British Dictionary definitions for leaden

adjective

Derived forms of leaden

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

leaden

adjective

verb (used with object)

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

Origin of leaden

OTHER WORDS FROM leaden

Words nearby leaden

Words related to leaden

Example sentences from the Web for leaden

British Dictionary definitions for leaden

adjective

Derived forms of leaden