lackluster
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈlæklʌstə(ɹ)/
Forms: form: more lackluster
form: most lackluster
form: lack-lustre
form: lacklustre
Etymology: From lack + luster.
Senses: synonyms: word: simple
word: thick
word: addlebrained
word: addlepated
word: airheaded
word: bee-brained
word: beef-witted
word: beefheaded
word: beetle-headed
word: birdbrained
word: blockheaded
word: Boeotian
word: boneheaded
word: boofheaded
word: brainless
word: bubbleheaded
word: buffle-headed
word: bullet-headed
word: cerebrally challenged
word: childish
word: chowderheaded
word: chuckleheaded
word: crackbrained
word: cretinous
word: dense
word: dented
word: dim-bulb
word: dim-headed
word: dim-witted
word: dim
word: doltish
word: dopey
word: dozy
word: drowsy
word: dull-headed
word: dull-minded
word: dull-witted
word: dull
word: dumber than a box of rocks
word: dumb
word: dunderheaded
word: empty-headed
word: fatheaded
word: feeble-minded
word: flea-brained
word: foolish
word: fuzzy-headed
word: fuzzy-minded
word: half-brained
word: half-witted
word: hammer-headed
word: idiotic
word: imbecilic
word: inane
word: insipid
word: intellectually challenged
word: knuckleheaded
word: lamebrained
word: lowbrow
word: lumpish
word: lunkheaded
word: mentally challenged
word: mentally retarded
word: mindless
word: monosynaptic
word: moronic
word: muttonheaded
word: nitwitted
word: numbskulled
word: oafish
word: obtuse
word: peabrained
word: pratty
word: pudding-headed
word: puerile
word: purblind
word: quarter-witted
word: retarded
word: rockheaded
word: sharp as a bowling ball
word: sheep-headed
word: simple
word: slow-witted
word: slow
word: smooth-brained
word: stolid
word: stupid
word: thick-skulled
word: thickheaded
word: thickwitted
word: thick
word: unapprehensive
word: unclever
word: unintelligent
word: unsmart
word: vacant
word: vacuous
word: witless
word: wooden-headed
word: wool-headed
word: woolly-headed
word: woolly-minded
word: dumb as a bag of hammers
word: dumb as a box of rocks
word: dumb as a doorknob
word: dumb as an ox
word: dumb as a post
word: dumb as a sack of hammers
word: dumb as dirt
word: dumber than a rock
word: not the sharpest crayon in the box
word: not the sharpest knife in the drawer
word: not the sharpest tool in the shed
word: thick as a brick
word: thick as a plank
word: thick as champ
word: thick as mince
word: thick as two short planks
word: thick as a whale omelette
word: ass-brained
word: fuckwitted
word: shit-for-brains
word: thick as pig shit
glosses: Lacking brilliance or intelligence.
examples: text: A faded, and an ancient dragon he was; and 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 gray.
ref: 1842 December – 1844 July, Charles Dickens, chapter 3, in The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1844, →OCLC, page 19:
text: He sat looking at her with lack-lustre eyes. The light suddenly came back into them.
ref: 1885, William Dean Howells, chapter XIX, in The Rise of Silas Lapham:
synonyms: word: faint
word: wan
word: bland
word: colourless
word: dim
word: dingy
word: dull
word: faint
word: lackluster
word: leaden
word: muddy
word: sad
word: sober
word: uncolorful
word: unholiday
word: wan
glosses: Having no shine or lustre; dull.
examples: text: The actor gave a lackluster performance in his latest film.
text: An allegedly true story emerges as a lackluster riff on American Hustle and The Wolf of Wall Street with a scrappy turn from an overly disguised lead star[.]
ref: 2016 December 30, Jordan Hoffman, “Gold review – the priciest ore is a bore in Matthew McConaughey misfire”, in The Guardian:
text: It’s fascinating to see a show wrap up in a manner wherein many of the flaws so clearly occur offscreen rather than on; the plague of season eight hasn’t been lackluster episodes, for the most part (though “The Last Of The Starks” was a definite low point).
ref: 2019 May 19, Alex McLevy, “The final Game Of Thrones brings a pensive but simple meditation about stories (newbies)”, in The A.V. Club, archived from the original on 22 May 2019:
text: Pressure on the UK government to commit to concrete measures and not just “lacklustre” verbal condemnation if Israel goes ahead with annexation of parts of the West Bank has been stepped up by a coalition of 14 British charities and human rights groups.
ref: 2020 June 29, Patrick Wintour, “UK criticised for 'lacklustre' response to Israel West Bank plans”, in The Guardian:
text: Tory MPs said Raab had been “lacklustre”, with one saying his position was “untenable”.
ref: 2021 August 20, Martin Farrer, “Friday briefing: ‘Lacklustre’ Raab under pressure to quit”, in The Guardian:
synonyms: word: bloodless
word: banal
word: beat
word: blah
word: bland
word: boring
word: cold
word: colourless
word: drab
word: dreich
word: drowsy
word: dull
word: dull as dishwater
word: flat
word: ho-hum
word: humdrum
word: insipid
word: lackluster
word: lame
word: languid
word: lifeless
word: longsome
word: monotonous
word: mundane
word: no fun at parties
word: plain
word: plodding
word: prosaic
word: prosy
word: pedantic
word: pedestrian
word: static
word: straightforward
word: snoozeworthy
word: soporific
word: tedious
word: uncool
word: wan
word: weaksauce
word: wooden
word: uninteresting
word: stodgy
word: vapid
word: vanilla
glosses: Not exceptional; not worthy of special merit, attention, or interest; having no vitality.
Synonyms: pallid
Derived terms: lacklusterly
lacklusterness