dullness

The state of being dull; slowness; stupidity; heaviness; drowsiness; bluntness; obtuseness; dimness; want of luster; want of vividness, or of brightness. [Written also dulness.]

And gentle dullness ever loves a joke.

noun

1. A deficiency in mental and physical alertness and activity: hebetude, languidness, languor, lassitude, leadenness, lethargy, listlessness, sluggishness, stupor, torpidity, torpor. See action/inaction.
2. A lack of excitement, liveliness, or interest: asepticism, blandness, colorlessness, drabness, dreariness, dryness, flatness, flavorlessness, insipidity, insipidness, jejuneness, lifelessness, sterileness, sterility, stodginess, vapidity, vapidness, weariness. See excite/bore/interest.

The noun has 4 meanings:

Meaning #1: the quality of being slow to understand
  Synonyms: dulness, obtuseness

Meaning #2: the quality of lacking interestingness
  Synonym: dulness

Meaning #3: a lack of visual brightness
  Synonym: dulness
  Antonym: brightness (meaning #1)

Meaning #4: without sharpness of edge or point
  Synonyms: dulness, bluntness
  Antonyms: sharpness (meaning #7), sharpness (meaning #5)

Quotes:

"Dullness is the coming of age of seriousness." - Oscar Wilde

"It is to be noted that when any part of this paper appears dull there is a design in it." - Sir Richard Steele

"Sir, he was dull in company, dull in his closet, dull everywhere. He was dull in a new way, and that made many people think him great." - Samuel Johnson

"What a comfort a dull but kindly person is, to be sure, at times! A ground-glass shade over a gas-lamp does not bring more solace to our dazzled eyes than such a one to our minds." - Oliver Wendell Holmes

"What can he mean by coming among us? He is not only dull himself, but the cause of dullness in others." - Samuel Foote

"Prudent dullness marked him for a mayor." - Charles Churchill

See more famous quotes about Dullness