lull
Plural: lulls
Noun
- a pause during which things are calm or activities are diminished
- a period of calm weather
- "there was a lull in the storm"
- A period of rest or soothing.
- A period of reduced activity; a respite.
- A period without waves or wind.
- An extended pause between sets of waves.
Verb
Verb Forms: lulled, lulling, lulls
- To calm or soothe, often to sleep; to make feel secure.
- calm by deception
- "Don't let yourself be lulled into a false state of security"
- become quiet or less intensive
- "the fighting lulled for a moment"
- make calm or still
- To cause to rest by soothing influences; to compose; to calm
- To become gradually calm; to subside; to cease or abate.
Examples
- He tried to lull his opponent into a false sense of security with small plays.
- The storm lulled.
Origin / Etymology
From Middle English lullen, lollen. Originally, perhaps expressive in origin from la-la-la or lu-lu-lu sounds made in calming a child. Compare Finnish laulaa (“to sing”) and Hiligaynon lala (“to sing a lullaby”).
Cognate with Scots lul, lule, loll (“to lull, put to sleep, howl, caterwaul”), Dutch lollen (“to sing badly, caterwaul”), Dutch lullen (“to chatter, prate, cheat, deceive”), Low German lullen (“to lull”), German lullen (“to lull”), Danish lulle (“to lull, sing to sleep”), Swedish lulla (“to lull”), Icelandic lúlla (“to lull”).
Synonyms
calm, calm down, letup, quiet, quieten, still, tranquilize, tranquillise, tranquillize, appease, soothe
Antonyms
Scrabble Score: 4
lull: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Wordlull: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
lull: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary