What is the Latin word for dull?

The usual Latin words for “dull” are hebetō, retundō, obtundō; also obstupefaciō, hebes, tardus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“dull” in Latin

hebetōto make something blunt, dull, dim; to dull, blunt, make stupid; to weaken, deaden retundōto beat back, drive back; to restrain, check; to hammer back (something sharp), blunt or dull obtundōto strike, beat or batter; to blunt; to deafen obstupefaciōto astonish, amaze, astound, stupefy; to be stunned, amazed, paralysed hebesblunt, dull, not sharp or pointed; dim, faint, dull; tasteless, without smell, without sensation; dull, obtuse, sluggish tardusslow, sluggish; tardy; late, lingering cālīgōto (emit) steam; to be dark or gloomy; to grope about; have poor eyesight nūbiluscloudy, overcast; cloud-bringing; dark, gloomy, dim; troubled, confused, beclouded nebulōsusmisty, foggy, clouded; obscure cālīginōsusfull of mist, covered with mist, misty, foggy; cloudy; dark, obscure, gloomy; uncertain, dark, obscure

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

dull adj.

hebetatus, retusus, obtusus (all PROP. and figuratively): obstupefactus (figuratively of the mind): hebes (of the eyes and understanding; also of pain): tardus (slow, of the intellect; also, tardus ad discendum): caligans (not clear, of the eyes): nubilus, nebulosus, or caliginosus (cloudy, dies, Plin.): subnubilus (Caes.): languidus, languens (without power or life; hence also of color, life, look, voice, etc.): iners (sluggish, of the eyes, looks, voice, pain, etc.): frigidus (cold; e.g., thoughts): stupidus: stupore oppressus (not in the full possession of one’s senses): dull gold, aurum non politum: a dull color, color languidus, lentus (not bright or lively), hebes (Ov., Plin.): color dilutus (washy): color nubilus, or surdus (clouded, dull; Plin.): to become dull, languescere, evanescere: to be dull, hebere or obtusa esse acie (PROP.; to be blunt): languere, frigere (e.g., of conversation): caligare (of the eyes): a dull yellow, languescens in lutum color (Plin.): a dull noise, murmur caecum (Verg.). To be dull of hearing, aures hebetes habere (Cic.): to make or render d. the eyes, the senses, hebetare sensum oculorum, sensus: a dull understanding, obtusior animi acies or vigor.

Not exhilarating, taedium, or satietatem, afferens; odiosus; molestus; gravis (Cic.); insuavis (Cic.).

Drowsy, sopitus; semisomnus; somniculosus (Cic.).

Sad, tristis; moestus; moerens (Cic.).

dull v.

TRANS.

To stupefy, stupefacere (Liv.); stolidum, or insulsum, facere; hebetem reddere.

To blunt, hebetare, retundere, obtundere (to deprive of sharpness by beating, pushing, etc., PROP. and figuratively): to dull the ears (Spens.), aures obtundere, aures hebetare: to dull the mind with (Ascham), mentem, ingenium obtundere: to dull the intellect, mentis mucronem retundere, by daily use, quotidiana pugna, (Quint., 10, 5, 16): to dull one’s self for anything, hebetare atque indurare aliquem ad aliquid.

To sadden, contristare; tristitia afficere; moerore conficere; moestitiam afferre (Cic.).

To weaken, debilitare; frangere; imminuere; lenire; mitigare; infirmare (Cic.).

To damp, tardare; remittere; relaxare (Cic.).

To make weary, lassare; fatigare; defatigare (Cic.).

To sully brightness, rei nitorem obscurare, infuscare, exstinguere (Cic.): maculare (Nep.).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for dull?: The usual Latin words for “dull” are hebetō, retundō, obtundō; also obstupefaciō, hebes, tardus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.