"Boring" vs. "dull": are they really the same?

Reviewed and edited by

Lloyd Cooper 24/09/2025, 02:24

English.me team member

What is similar?

Both "boring" and "dull" describe something that fails to interest or excite and can be used to express a lack of stimulation or excitement.

What is different?

"Boring" specifically refers to something that causes boredom or makes someone feel uninterested, while "dull" can also mean lacking brightness, sharpness, or liveliness in addition to being uninteresting.

Which one is more common?

Examples of usage

Boring

The lecture was so boring that several students fell asleep.
He found the movie boring and left before it finished.

Dull

The sky was covered with dull, gray clouds all day.
Her knife was too dull to cut the vegetables properly.