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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
Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 4 May 2025
Apple Intelligence has had a rather lackluster rollout.
—Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 1 May 2025
The same cannot be said of many lackluster district schools.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 1 May 2025
The Orioles’ lackluster start to the season has been an incredible disappointment, and fans have every right to be upset.
—Julian Baron, Baltimore Sun, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lackluster
Cite this Entry
“Lackluster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lackluster. Accessed 12 May. 2025.
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lackluster
adjective
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