lull

[ luhl ]
See synonyms for lull on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object)
  1. to put to sleep or rest by soothing means: to lull a child by singing.

  2. to soothe or quiet.

  1. to give or lead to feel a false sense of safety; cause to be less alert, aware, or watchful.

verb (used without object)
  1. to quiet down, let up, or subside: furious activity that finally lulled.

noun
  1. a temporary calm, quiet, or stillness: a lull in a storm.

  2. a soothing sound: the lull of falling waters.

  1. a pacified or stupefied condition: The drug had put him in a lull.

Origin of lull

1
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English lullen, of expressive origin; compare Swedish lulla, German lullen, Latin lallāre “to sing a lullaby”

Other words from lull

  • luller, noun
  • lull·ing·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use lull in a sentence

  • Sleep kindly came to some, and lulled their spirits into momentary oblivion.

  • This is Bruges sleeping peacefully in old age, lulled to rest by the sound of its own carillon.

    Belgium | George W. T. (George William Thomson) Omond
  • Out in Calgary I was given an explanation of the phenomenon that put me on the wrong track and lulled my sense of outrage.

    The Affable Stranger | Peter McArthur
  • Soon after the tent in question was pitched, and it looked so large and new that the man of property's suspicions were lulled.

  • As there is nothing else to do it is not long before we turn in and fall asleep, lulled by the rumbling of the train.

British Dictionary definitions for lull

lull

/ (lʌl) /


verb
  1. to soothe (a person or animal) by soft sounds or motions (esp in the phrase lull to sleep)

  2. to calm (someone or someone's fears, suspicions, etc), esp by deception

noun
  1. a short period of calm or diminished activity

Origin of lull

1
C14: possibly imitative of crooning sounds; related to Middle Low German lollen to soothe, Middle Dutch lollen to talk drowsily, mumble

Derived forms of lull

  • lulling, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012