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Lackluster may describe things that are dull, but the word itself is no yawn. In its earliest uses in the early 17th century, lackluster (also spelled lacklustre) usually described eyes that were dull or lacking in brightness, as in “a lackluster stare.” Later, it came to describe other things whose sheen had been removed; Charles Dickens, in his 1844 novel Martin Chuzzlewit, writes of the faded image of the dragon on the sign outside a village alehouse: “many a wintry storm of rain, snow, sleet, and hail, had changed his colour from a gaudy blue to a faint lack-lustre shade of grey.” These days lackluster is broadly used to describe anything blah, from a spiritless sensation to a humdrum hump day.
Examples of lackluster in a Sentence
EW.com, 31 May 2024
Its lackluster cameras and short software support window, however, mean that most people should get the $500 Google Pixel 8a instead.
—PCMAG, 30 May 2024
A lot of combos will pair a nice reel with a lackluster rod which can be problematic for any surf fisherman.
—Max Inchausti, Field & Stream, 30 May 2024
Monster’s referring to the issues that have plagued the Dolphins the past two seasons, where hot starts are soiled by a lackluster finishes to the regular season.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 29 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for lackluster 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lackluster.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Lackluster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lackluster. Accessed 6 Jun. 2024.
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lackluster
adjective
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