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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 Steinberg, Variety, 10 Feb. 2025
Second, The Sims deserved better than this lackluster re-release.
—Ars Technica, 7 Feb. 2025
Catch up quick: Phoenix started the season with high hopes after several years of unmet expectations, only to struggle through injuries and lackluster performance.
—Jeremy Duda, Axios, 6 Feb. 2025
But DeRozan and LaVine had a lackluster supporting cast around them, in part due to injuries, while the organization lacked stability.
—Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 4 Feb. 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 20 Feb. 2025.
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lackluster
adjective
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