lull
Americanverb (used with object)
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to put to sleep or rest by soothing means.
to lull a child by singing.
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to soothe or quiet.
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to give or lead to feel a false sense of safety; cause to be less alert, aware, or watchful.
verb (used without object)
noun
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a temporary calm, quiet, or stillness.
a lull in a storm.
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a soothing sound.
the lull of falling waters.
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a pacified or stupefied condition.
The drug had put him in a lull.
verb
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to soothe (a person or animal) by soft sounds or motions (esp in the phrase lull to sleep )
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to calm (someone or someone's fears, suspicions, etc), esp by deception
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has lulledperfect 3rd person singular
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have lulledperfect
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has been lullingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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have been lullingperfect progressive
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is lullingprogressive 3rd person singular
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are lullingprogressive
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am lullingprogressive 1st person singular
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lullingparticiple
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lullssingular 3rd person
Past
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had lulledperfect
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had been lullingperfect progressive
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were lullingprogressive plural
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was lullingprogressive singular
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lulledparticiple
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lulledsimple
Future
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”
Explanation
See lull, think "calm." It could be the noun form (like "the lull before the storm") or the verb: one can lull someone by calming them (as in lulling a baby to sleep with a lullaby). The noun lull is often used in relation to a storm, but the term has a broader meaning as well. Lull can be used to describe any temporary period of calm or diminished activity, like the quiet time before the lunch rush in a restaurant or the brief period of tranquility before the doors open for a pre-Christmas sale. The word's verb form means "to soothe or to make someone feel relaxed." When used as a verb lull can turn deceptive, and it is often used to convey a false sense of security.
Vocabulary lists containing lull
List 2
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The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
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The Cay
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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.
That may lull investors into thinking ETFs are always tax efficient.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026
Right now, unemployment is low at 4.3%, layoffs are near a record low and hiring has picked up recently after a prolonged lull.
From MarketWatch • May 26, 2026
We have about one more month of this nirvana and then the summer lull will set in until football.
From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026
As Barron’s previously reported, there has been a flush of entrants to the public market this year following a lull in 2025.
From Barron's • May 5, 2026
Their income was always unpredictable, and any time off or a lull in their business would impact how much money we had for bills and groceries each month.
From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi
Definitions 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.
