The difference between Dull and Inactive

When used as adjectives, dull means lacking the ability to cut easily, whereas inactive means not active, temporarily or permanently.


Dull is also verb with the meaning: to render dull.

check bellow for the other definitions of Dull and Inactive

  1. Dull as an adjective:

    Lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp.

    Examples:

    "All these knives are dull."

  2. Dull as an adjective:

    Boring; not exciting or interesting.

    Examples:

    "He sat through the dull lecture and barely stayed awake."

    "When does having a dull personality ever get you a girlfriend? Even if you get one, how does being dull help you keep a relationship for over a year?"

  3. Dull as an adjective:

    Not shiny; having a matte finish or no particular luster or brightness.

    Examples:

    "Choose a dull finish to hide fingerprints."

    "a dull fire or lamp;  a dull red or yellow;  nowrap a dull mirror"

  4. Dull as an adjective:

    Not bright or intelligent; stupid; slow of understanding.

  5. Dull as an adjective:

    Sluggish, listless.

  6. Dull as an adjective:

    Cloudy, overcast.

    Examples:

    "It's a dull day."

  7. Dull as an adjective:

    Insensible; unfeeling.

  8. Dull as an adjective:

    Heavy; lifeless; inert.

  9. Dull as an adjective (of pain etc):

    Not intense; felt indistinctly or only slightly.

    Examples:

    "Pressing on the bruise produces a dull pain."

  10. Dull as an adjective:

    Not clear, muffled.

  1. Dull as a verb (transitive):

    To render dull; to remove or blunt an edge or something that was sharp.

    Examples:

    "Years of misuse have dulled the tools."

  2. Dull as a verb (transitive):

    To soften, moderate or blunt; to make dull, stupid, or sluggish; to stupefy.

    Examples:

    "He drinks to dull the pain."

  3. Dull as a verb (intransitive):

    To lose a sharp edge; to become dull.

    Examples:

    "A razor will dull with use."

  4. Dull as a verb:

    To render dim or obscure; to sully; to tarnish.

  1. Inactive as an adjective:

    Not active, temporarily or permanently.

    Examples:

    "The volcano is inactive, but is only dormant."

    "An inactive boy, he rarely exercised and preferred to stay indoors."

  2. Inactive as an adjective:

    Not functioning or operating; broken down

    Examples:

    "The photocopier is inactive pending repair."

  3. Inactive as an adjective:

    Retired from duty or service.

    Examples:

    "Admiral Jones is now on the inactive list."

  4. Inactive as an adjective (chemistry):

    Relatively inert.

    Examples:

    "Aluminium is inactive towards water."

  5. Inactive as an adjective (physics):

    Showing no optical activity in polarized light.

    Examples:

    "Synthetic glycine is optically inactive as it contains equal amounts of the d- and l- form."

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