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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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
  • Anything that isn’t someone bleeding out is boring to them, that kind of thing.
    Maria Fontoura, Rolling Stone, 5 Apr. 2025
  • But here, it’s all viewed through a workplace-comedy format, which captures the kind of boring ordinariness of typical medical care while also getting at some of the big frustrations of understaffing.
    Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 3 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
  • 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
  • He was last seen wearing a gray jumpsuit and black and red shoes.
    Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Juarez left the store in a gray Chevy Silverado pickup truck.
    David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • With businesses and consumers alike weary about the safety of AI moving forward, where does this leave them?
    Gary Drenik, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025
  • The second, that it was named after a maiden who showed some weary legionnaires the way to the mountain spring.
    Tony Perrottet, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Lawrence was sparkling like a disco ball in a silver sequined high-neck gown.
    Leigh Nordstrom, Footwear News, 4 Apr. 2025
  • In March 2019, Brittany Hill was holding her child, Ja-Miley Jones, and speaking to her boyfriend on North Mason Avenue when a silver sedan pulled up.
    Madison E. Goldberg, People.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Miracle leave-in product: on sale for $28 (30% off) Original price: $40 (Ulta) Dealing with dull or damaged hair?
    Christopher Murray, FOXNews.com, 2 Apr. 2025
  • No race including Bianco or Jenner should ever be dull, though, and this one likely won’t be either.
    Thomas Elias, The Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • Sanchez added a selfie from bed, sharing how tiring her pregnancy is.
    Charna Flam, People.com, 7 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Leaden.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leaden. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

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