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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have lulledperfect
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has lulledperfect 3rd person singular
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are lullingprogressive
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is lullingprogressive 3rd person singular
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have been lullingperfect progressive
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am lullingprogressive 1st person singular
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has been lullingperfect progressive 3rd 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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was lullingprogressive singular
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lulledparticiple
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lulledsimple
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were lullingprogressive plural
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had been lullingperfect progressive
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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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.
