lull

American  

[luhl] / lʌl /

verb (used with object)

1. to put to sleep or rest by soothing means.

   to lull a child by singing.

2. to soothe or quiet.

3. to give or lead to feel a false sense of safety; cause to be less alert, aware, or watchful.

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verb (used without object)

1. to quiet down, let up, or subside.

   furious activity that finally lulled.

noun

1. a temporary calm, quiet, or stillness.

   a lull in a storm.

2. a soothing sound.

   the lull of falling waters.

3. a pacified or stupefied condition.

   The drug had put him in a lull.

lull British  

/ lʌl /

verb

1. to soothe (a person or animal) by soft sounds or motions (esp in the phrase lull to sleep )

2. to calm (someone or someone's fears, suspicions, etc), esp by deception

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noun

1. a short period of calm or diminished activity

Other Word Forms

• luller noun
• lulling adjective
• lullingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of lull

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English lullen, of expressive origin; compare Swedish lulla, German lullen, Latin lallāre “to sing a lullaby”

Example Sentences

But the IPO market had its fair share of fits and starts in 2025, with Liberation Day-related volatility and a fall government shutdown temporarily leading to lulls in new issuance activity.

From Barron's

His point: We are being lulled into accepting “true enough” as a proxy for actual truth—while losing the habit of verifying information for ourselves.

From The Wall Street Journal

He heads to Kohl’s and FedEx along the route to make some returns during lulls in scheduled pickups, clearing space as he heads to get more orders.

From The Wall Street Journal

Wednesday during the day: There could be a bit of a lull between bands of heavy rain.

From Los Angeles Times

Unsurprisingly, this third season has become the show’s most popular yet, and we’re betting the holiday lull will further swell the ranks of its cult fandom.

From Salon

Related Words

• breather
• calmness
• hiatus
• hush
• layoff
• letup
• respite
• time-out