lull

1 of 2

verb

ˈləl 

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

Synonyms

Verb

• becalm
• calm
• compose
• lullaby
• quiet
• quieten [chiefly British]
• salve
• settle
• soothe
• still
• tranquilize
• tranquillize

Noun

• break
• breath
• breather
• interruption
• pause
• recess

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

With impressively integrated technology, the musical makes clever use of time and space, tugging at our heartstrings with ease and lulling us along with its dulcet tones. —Ew Staff, EW.com, 11 Dec. 2024

Still, City have developed a reputation for lulling their title rivals into a false sense of security with an uncharacteristically poor autumn and winter period before reeling off a stack of consecutive wins in the spring to ensure the trophy remains at the Etihad. —Elias Burke, The Athletic, 21 Nov. 2024

Noun

As someone who runs an online retail business, there’s a lot of pressure to get ahead of the sure-to-be lulls of January sales. —Alysse Dalessandro, Health, 18 Dec. 2024

This mindset creates a lull in job applications, meaning recruiters will likely see fewer candidates in their pipelines. —Wasim Hajjiri, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024

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

Phrases Containing lull

• the calm/lull before the storm

Kids Definition

lull

1 of 2 verb

ˈləl 

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