1
as in boring
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest
a leaden performance of a classic American play that nearly put us to sleep
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in gray
of the color gray
the leaden sky made everything seem dark and depressing
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of leaden
If ‘Oxen’ occupies a region of Ulysses where Joyce’s exquisite ear for memorably musical sentences (‘Mild fire of wine kindled his veins’) takes a back seat to the leaden hum of meta-literature, that is no reason not to be awed by his chutzpah.
—
Literary Hub, 5 Feb. 2026
Unfortunately, through its first four episodes, The Copenhagen Test is also a wonderful sleep aid — a whole lot of leaden dialogue and convoluted plotting, with very little intensity or momentum.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 26 Dec. 2025
These choices add more implausibility to a script already leaden with it.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 15 Dec. 2025
Shipp is tasked with scolding her father and delivering leaden exposition.
—Esther Zuckerman, IndieWire, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for leaden
Literary Hub, 5 Feb. 2026
Unfortunately, through its first four episodes, The Copenhagen Test is also a wonderful sleep aid — a whole lot of leaden dialogue and convoluted plotting, with very little intensity or momentum.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 26 Dec. 2025
These choices add more implausibility to a script already leaden with it.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 15 Dec. 2025
Shipp is tasked with scolding her father and delivering leaden exposition.
—Esther Zuckerman, IndieWire, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for leaden
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leaden
Adjective
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Simply, Florida’s Pro Day was as boring as ever.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
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Given a list, the sorts of things Americans are comfortable with AI doing tend to be impersonal or even boring tasks, as well as those that less directly impact them, like proofreading or searching online.—
Anthony Salvanto,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Murray is 5 feet, 7 inches tall, weighs 230 pounds, and was last seen wearing a gray shirt, gray sweatpants and black and blue shoes.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2026
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The majority of the seats are in place, alternated in pink, black, gray and white with some positioned to depict a heron, the team’s mascot.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Affecting the first two receptors means retatrutide may help suppress appetite and slow digestion, which can help users feel full after eating even smaller meals.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
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Long train rides and other slow travel between places offer exactly the meditative in-between space your nervous system is craving.—
Kirah Tabourn,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The other was that the silver oxide batteries that ran them had the longevity of a peanut at an elephant convention – especially if the watch had an electromechanical analog display with its power-hungry step motor.—
David Szondy
March 28,
New Atlas,
28 Mar. 2026
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Apple runs her high femme little coven out of their store Free Eden with an emphasis on iconic women — the girls confess to their martyr Marilyn Monroe in a dressing room, and practice dark magic with their panties and a silver cowboy boot.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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In this case, the dog’s weary posture and downcast eyes made the illusion especially convincing.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
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Israelis have also grown weary after nearly a month of daily sirens, 16 civilian deaths and dozens of people seriously injured.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Hochheiser, who could not return to his condo due to a mold infestation, said one dull day melted into another at Villa Rosa III.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
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Found Sound is a story about two kids, Felix and Marigold, and a seemingly dull summer vacation that’s upended when the kids find an old wooden box that says OPEN ME.—
Caroline Carlson,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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When swallowing becomes difficult, eating can feel tiring or uncomfortable.—
Sundeep Venkatesan,
The Conversation,
23 Mar. 2026
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And adopting the mantle of cultural curmudgeon can get tiring.—
Anna Holmes,
The Atlantic,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Of course, sometimes the situation is more serious than stupid.—
Isaac Stanley-Becker,
The Atlantic,
31 Mar. 2026
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The American people are not stupid and will not accept more failure theater from Republicans in Congress.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Leaden.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leaden. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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