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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of leaden But Betancourt’s approach feels leaden with reference and citation, too often leaning on a catalog of cultural properties to advance an argument that is, at its heart, empirical. Jake Nevins, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025 Humor — both black and camp — is the key here, unlike the often-leaden film which relied on special effects rather than a sharp script and knowing comic direction for its wow factor. Frank Rizzo, Variety, 22 Nov. 2024 For a movie whose chief anthem is an advertisement for the joys of defying gravity, Wicked is surprisingly leaden, with a promise of more of the same to come. Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 20 Nov. 2024 The men gasped, took deep useless breaths of the leaden wet air, and shambled forward grunting and sobbing, their arms slowly and inevitably bending toward the ground. David Denby, The New Yorker, 19 Dec. 2022 See All Example Sentences for leaden
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leaden
Adjective
  • Camilla told Newsweek that her husband, Linford, 32, works as a tunnel boring machine operator in London.
    Arick Wierson, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Apr. 2025
  • Take it from this guy, who bought the beautiful Starfield limited-edition Xbox controller, headset, and console wrap for over $200, only to play the game and dump it after 20 boring hours.
    Matt Gardner, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The bodies of the dead and wounded could be seen lying on the pavement, one of them by a playground, in unverified videos circulating on Telegram, as grey smoke rose into the sky.
    Yuliia Dysa and Tom Balmforth, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Rather than reject their advances, Max performs the middle-aged male mating call: jogging in a pair of grey sweatpants with no underwear.
    Claire Franken, TVLine, 3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Samsung is neck and neck with Google, but its updates are often slower and more limited on older phones.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 10 Apr. 2025
  • The slowest builder finished before the one who overslept.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • He was last seen wearing a gray jumpsuit and black and red shoes.
    Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Emme opted for a gray pinstripe suit and plaid tie.
    Michelle Lee, People.com, 8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • And a simple chat at a Chinese restaurant, like the one between the dyspeptic Dave Moss (Bill Burr) and the weary George Aaronow (Michael McKean), might turn out to have been criminal entrapment.
    Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Inside, a queue of solemn, weary visitors moved slowly down a long hallway toward the cafeteria.
    Rick Bragg, Southern Living, 3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • In celebration of this historic ride, M.S. Rau in New Orleans is offering three silver pieces handcrafted by the American revolutionary, including a coffee pot for $1,285,000.
    Richard Johnson, New York Daily News, 13 Apr. 2025
  • The Academy Award-winning actress paired the look with dangling diamond earrings, a silver Gucci clutch purse and metallic platform high-heel shoes.
    Lori A Bashian Fox News, FOXNews.com, 12 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The additional compounds in matcha dull this effect.
    Helen Carefoot, Verywell Health, 11 Apr. 2025
  • For the rest of us, a real musical comedy is a cause for celebration; most are either too tuneless to be musicals or too dull to be comedies.
    Jesse Green, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Ultimately, many on the internet have identified this week as a particularly tiring one for Black K-pop fans.
    Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 6 Apr. 2025
  • Of course, going from shows to pickleball classes to after-hours jam sessions at B.B. King’s Blues Club can be tiring.
    DeMarco Williams, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Leaden.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leaden. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on leaden

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!