lull

1 of 2

verb

lulled; lulling; lulls

transitive verb

1
: to cause to sleep or rest : soothe
He was lulled to sleep by her soothing voice.
2
: to cause to relax vigilance
were lulled into a false sense of security

lull

2 of 2

noun

1
: a temporary pause or decline in activity
the early-morning lull in urban noise
: such as
a
: a temporary drop in business activity
b
: a temporary calm before or during a storm
2
archaic : something that lulls
especially : lullaby

Examples of lull in a Sentence

Verb The music lulled him to sleep. the absence of attacks for such an extended period had lulled the nation into a false sense of security Noun we took the opportunity of a lull in the conversation to announce that we were engaged to be married
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Edsall has developed a knack for soliciting revealing quotes from his sources, lulling them into a sense of false security only to tease out their most intemperate inner thoughts. Noah Rothman, National Review, 3 Apr. 2024 If your goal is to fall asleep more quickly or stay asleep, a machine that offers a range of noise settings could be a great way to explore which sounds work best at lulling you off into dreamland each night. Kelsey Chapman, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2024 Comment: Obviously, the Bears’ substandard performance Thursday night was an attempt to lull Stanford into a false sense of security ahead of the Las Vegas matchup. Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2024 Yes, that welcome light and frosty greeting can lull you into a sense of security. USA TODAY, 23 Mar. 2024 And the sound of a thunderstorm could lull him to sleep better than anything else. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 5 Mar. 2024 Overall, a user is gradually and silently lulled into believing that the generative AI is flawless. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Leftists accuse the group of trying to lull the anti-Netanyahu protests to sleep. Isabel Kershner, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2024 That confusion, critics argue, can lull drivers into a false sense of security in the system which can potentially lead to crashes resulting in serious injury or death. Popular Science, 15 Feb. 2024
Noun
Hurricane Ian broke that lull in 2022, as the Category 4 storm swept through central Florida, causing widespread flooding and coastal damage, becoming one of Florida’s deadliest storms in decades. Brian Bushard, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024 Reddit still isn’t profitable, and its capital goal was small relative to other social media giants, but the site is helping wake up a sluggish IPO market from its two-year lull. Laura Bratton, Quartz, 22 Mar. 2024 When McBride hit a brief lull, Donte DiVincenzo heated up. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 19 Mar. 2024 Or, rather, that’s when things return to the early level of wildness after a 40+-minute lull in wildness. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Mar. 2024 These days, migration is in a lull in the Customs and Border Protection's Rio Grande Valley sector, which includes Brownsville. Suzanne Gamboa, NBC News, 28 Feb. 2024 The Gophers’ rollercoaster season has included a seven-game winning streak followed by this current four-game lull. Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 26 Jan. 2024 But at a certain point, often around 1 in the morning, comes a lull in the marathon. Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Mar. 2024 National Democrats for years have struggled to define their agenda, swinging unpredictably between the fevers of Bernie Sanders’ socialist-sympathizing campaigns and the lulls of Pete Buttigeig’s technocratic lesson that surprisingly carried him to victory in Iowa’s 2020 caucuses. TIME, 16 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lull.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English; probably of imitative origin

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1719, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of lull was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near lull

Cite this Entry

“Lull.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lull. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

lull

1 of 2 verb
1
: to cause to sleep or rest
2
: to cause to relax vigilance
were lulled into a false sense of security

lull

2 of 2 noun
1
: a temporary calm before or during a storm
2
: a temporary drop in activity

More from Merriam-Webster on lull

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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