lull

[ luhl ]

verb (used with object)

1. to put to sleep or rest by soothing means:

   to lull a child by singing.

2. to soothe or quiet.
3. to give or lead to feel a false sense of safety; cause to be less alert, aware, or watchful.

verb (used without object)

1. to quiet down, let up, or subside:

   furious activity that finally lulled.

noun

1. a temporary calm, quiet, or stillness:

   a lull in a storm.

2. a soothing sound:

   the lull of falling waters.

3. a pacified or stupefied condition:

   The drug had put him in a lull.

lull

/ lʌl /

verb

1. to soothe (a person or animal) by soft sounds or motions (esp in the phrase lull to sleep )
2. to calm (someone or someone's fears, suspicions, etc), esp by deception

noun

1. a short period of calm or diminished activity

Derived Forms

• ˈlulling, adjective

Other Words From

• luller noun
• lulling·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of lull¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English lullen, of expressive origin; compare Swedish lulla, German lullen, Latin lallāre “to sing a lullaby”

Word History and Origins

Origin of lull¹

C14: possibly imitative of crooning sounds; related to Middle Low German lollen to soothe, Middle Dutch lollen to talk drowsily, mumble

Example Sentences

After something of a lull this evening, with at least patchy fog and drizzle possible during that time, we may see precipitation break out again late at night.

From Washington Post

After a lull this weekend, there are likely to be a lot of polls the rest of the way out.

From FiveThirtyEight

After a bit of a lull in the spring, Encore and other debt buyers are back at it, filing suits by the thousands every week, according to ProPublica’s analysis of state court filings.

From ProPublica

Amazon, in essence, created a new shopping holiday to get through the lull.

From Popular-Science

For instance, Louisiana saw a large spike in infections, followed by a lull and then a second spike.

From MIT Technology Review

For now, even the tragedy that left many local people in shock and heartbroken has not brought on a lull in the fighting.

From The Daily Beast

But during that lull period, were you concerned that Disney was losing its mojo?

From The Daily Beast

“All right,” the Colonel would say whenever there was a lull.

From The Daily Beast

Since then, there has been a lull in the fitness game genre.

From The Daily Beast

And then, not long after all that, would come the same lull and an impasse of detachment.

From The Daily Beast

This treacherous sort of calm, we thought, might forbode a storm, and we did not allow it to lull us into security.

From Project Gutenberg

In a lull of the raging earth the distant whistle of the train could be distinctly heard.

From Project Gutenberg

Her fancy selected them, and she was glad when a lull in the music gave them an opportunity to meet her and talk with her.

From Project Gutenberg

Lightning from the east and west accompanied the rain, but the wind was steady, and did not freshen or lull during the showers.

From Project Gutenberg

Taking advantage of the lull, he went over to the door and peered out into the Operations Room.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• breather
• calmness
• hiatus
• hush
• layoff
• letup
• respite
• time-out