Dully

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a manner that is dull and lacks excitement or liveliness ; without brightness, sharpness, or clarity in appearance or sensation
2. Expressed in an unenthusiastic or monotonous way ; characterized by a muted or subdued quality lacking vividness
3. Done without energy or interest, appearing lifeless or bland ; showing a lack of distinctness or brilliance in visual or sensory qualities

Etymology: Dully is simply the adjective "dull" with the suffix "-ly" attached, so its story is mostly the story of that suffix. The suffix has a long ancestry: it descends from a Proto-Germanic element meaning roughly "body" or "form," and it appears in Old English as "-līce," which was used to turn adjectives into adverbs describing how something is done. Over the centuries "-līce" worn down to "-ly" in Middle English. The base word "dull" carries its own surprise. Its original sense was not boredom at all but stupidity or slowness of mind, and it was also applied to blunt edges and sluggish things. The sense of "lacking vividness" came later, so an adverb built from it describes a manner that has drained of sharpness or liveliness.

Synonyms: bluntly, tastelessly

Antonyms: sharply, vividly