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

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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
  • For a warm and welcoming design idea, such as a patio hugged in greenery, consider a cream-colored block—a nice middle ground between edgy grey concrete and natural stone.
    Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Lindo, at 6 feet 4 inches, enters the restaurant on an overcast Wednesday afternoon, sporting aviator shades, a thin, grey beanie, and a colorful summer scarf of different orange, pink, and yellow hues.
    Nick Romano, EW.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The building Celine now occupies what used to be a slow pop-up for Dior and Loro Piana.
    Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Of the slow, unsexy work of loving someone even in the worst times.
    Ruhama Wolle, Glamour, 10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • According to the sheriff's office, Wolfe was last seen driving a gray 2020 Can-Am Defender side-by-side vehicle, and her cell phone was either no longer active or turned on.
    Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA Today, 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
  • Many brands and retailers, meanwhile, will have to choose between absorbing the costs in order to hold prices steady or passing them onto customers via price hikes at a moment when many are already weary from inflation and minding their budgets.
    Marc Bain and Joan Kennedy, CNN Money, 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

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Cite this Entry

“Leaden.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leaden. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

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