leaden

[led-n]

adjective

1. inertly heavy like lead; hard to lift or move.

   a leaden weight; leaden feet.

2. dull, spiritless, or gloomy, as in mood or thought.

   leaden prose; a leaden atmosphere.

3. of a dull gray color.

   leaden skies.

4. oppressive; heavy.

   a leaden silence.

5. sluggish; listless.

   They moved at a leaden pace.

6. of poor quality or little value.

7. made or consisting of lead.

verb (used with object)

1. to make leaden, sluggish, dull, etc..

   Fatigue had leadened his brain and step.

leaden

/ ˈlɛdən /

adjective

1. heavy and inert

2. laboured or sluggish

   leaden steps

3. gloomy, spiritless, or lifeless

4. made partly or wholly of lead

5. of a dull greyish colour

   a leaden sky

Other Word Forms

• leadenly adverb
• leadenness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of leaden¹

before 1000; Middle English leden, Old English lēaden. See lead ², -en ²

Example Sentences

Sweeney is good, even when the leaden dialogue does her a disservice.

From Los Angeles Times

Standing in for Stokes, Ollie Pope would have been desperate to win the toss under a leaden sky on a green pitch.

From BBC

The Oscar nominee gives her physical all to the movie and, as a thank you, “Ballerina” lets her stay mostly silent so its leaden lines don’t weigh down her performance.

From Los Angeles Times

All this after Zimbabwe won the toss and chose to field under a leaden sky.

From BBC

I’d follow a recipe to the letter and still end up squinting at the oven door, trying to gauge whether I’d accidentally created something leaden or gummy or wrong.

From Salon

Related Words

• ponderous 
• weighty