lull

[luhl]

See more synonyms for lull on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to put to sleep or rest by soothing means: to lull a child by singing.
to soothe or quiet.
to give or lead to feel a false sense of safety; cause to be less alert, aware, or watchful.

verb (used without object)

to quiet down, let up, or subside: furious activity that finally lulled.

noun

a temporary calm, quiet, or stillness: a lull in a storm.
a soothing sound: the lull of falling waters.
a pacified or stupefied condition: The drug had put him in a lull.

Origin of lull

1300–50; Middle English lullen, of expressive orig.; compare Swedish lulla, German lullen, Latin lallāre to sing lullaby

Related formslull·er, nounlull·ing·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for lull

layoff, letup, hiatus, breather, hush, calmness, respite, time-out, soothe, tranquility, stop, quiet, break, quiescence, stillness, comma, abeyance, downtime, silence, lullaby

Examples from the Web for lull

Contemporary Examples of lull

For now, even the tragedy that left many local people in shock and heartbroken has not brought on a lull in the fighting.
In the Killing Fields of Ukraine with Children Who Saw the MH17 Horror
Anna Nemtsova
July 20, 2014
But during that lull period, were you concerned that Disney was losing its mojo?
The ‘Maleficent’ Screenwriter Also Wrote ‘The Lion King’ and ‘Beauty and the Beast’
Kevin Fallon
June 1, 2014
“All right,” the Colonel would say whenever there was a lull.
The Night Vince Lombardi Lay Awake Brooding Over a 49-0 Win
W.C. Heinz
January 25, 2014
Since then, there has been a lull in the fitness game genre.
Can I Lose Weight Playing Video Games?
Alec Kubas-Meyer
January 14, 2014
Following a lull in the shooting, Murphy came out and looked in the direction where he expected to see the shooter.
15 Rounds and Still Talking: Lt. Brian Murphy’s Story of the Oak Creek Massacre
Simran Jeet Singh
August 5, 2013

Historical Examples of lull

But the lull in the music had started conversation in other parts of the room.
Ester Ried Yet Speaking
Isabella Alden
At last there was a lull in the monologue and I arose and said I must be going.
City of Endless Night
Milo Hastings
But a lull in a newspaper office is seldom of long duration.
Jennie Baxter, Journalist
Robert Barr
In the lull of drinking, Madden lifted his water to his friend.
The Cruise of the Dry Dock
T. S. Stribling
The lull in naval construction, however, was of short duration.
The Story of the Great War, Volume III (of VIII)
Various

British Dictionary definitions for lull

lull

verb

to soothe (a person or animal) by soft sounds or motions (esp in the phrase lull to sleep)
to calm (someone or someone's fears, suspicions, etc), esp by deception

noun

a short period of calm or diminished activity

Derived Formslulling, adjective

Word Origin for lull

C14: possibly imitative of crooning sounds; related to Middle Low German lollen to soothe, Middle Dutch lollen to talk drowsily, mumble

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

Word Origin and History for lull

early 14c., lullen "hush to sleep," probably imitative of lu-lu sound used to lull a child to sleep (cf. Swedish lulla "to hum a lullaby," German lullen "to rock," Sanskrit lolati "moves to and fro," Middle Dutch lollen "to mutter"). Figurative use from 1570s. Related: Lulled; lulling.

1650s as the name of a soothing drink, from lull (v.). Meaning "period of quiet in a storm" is from 1815.