Antonyms of verb dull

1 of 7 senses of dull

Sense 5
dull, blunt -- (make dull or blunt; "Too much cutting dulls the knife's edge")
       Antonym of sharpen (Sense 1)
      => sharpen -- (make sharp or sharper; "sharpen the knives")

Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of verb dull

7 senses of dull

Sense 1
dull -- (make dull in appearance; "Age had dulled the surface")
       => change, alter, modify -- (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue")

Sense 2
dull -- (become dull or lusterless in appearance; lose shine or brightness; "the varnished table top dulled with time")
       => change -- (undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature; "She changed completely as she grew older"; "The weather changed last night")

Sense 3
muffle, mute, dull, damp, dampen, tone down -- (deaden (a sound or noise), especially by wrapping)
       => soften -- (make (images or sounds) soft or softer)

Sense 4
numb, benumb, blunt, dull -- (make numb or insensitive; "The shock numbed her senses")
       => desensitize, desensitise -- (cause not to be sensitive; "The war desensitized many soldiers"; "The photographic plate was desensitized")

Sense 5
dull, blunt -- (make dull or blunt; "Too much cutting dulls the knife's edge")
       => change, alter, modify -- (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue")

Sense 6
pall, dull -- (become less interesting or attractive)
       => change -- (undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature; "She changed completely as she grew older"; "The weather changed last night")

Sense 7
dull -- (make less lively or vigorous; "Middle age dulled her appetite for travel")
       => weaken -- (become weaker; "The prisoner's resistance weakened after seven days")

Antonyms of adj dulled

3 senses of dulled

Sense 1
dulled, benumbed -- (having lost or been caused to lose interest because of overexposure; "the mind of the audience is becoming dulled"; "the benumbed intellectual faculties can no longer respond")

INDIRECT (VIA uninterested) -> interested -- (having or showing interest; especially curiosity or fascination or concern; "an interested audience"; "interested in sports"; "was interested to hear about her family"; "interested in knowing who was on the telephone"; "interested spectators")

Sense 2
blunted, dulled -- (made dull or blunt)

INDIRECT (VIA dull) -> sharp -- (having or made by a thin edge or sharp point; suitable for cutting or piercing; "a sharp knife"; "a pencil with a sharp point")

Sense 3
dulled, greyed -- (deprived of color; "colors dulled by too much sun"; "greyed with the dust of the road")

INDIRECT (VIA colorless) -> colorful, colourful -- (having striking color; "colorful autumn leaves")

Similarity of adj dulled

3 senses of dulled

Sense 1
dulled, benumbed -- (having lost or been caused to lose interest because of overexposure; "the mind of the audience is becoming dulled"; "the benumbed intellectual faculties can no longer respond")
       => uninterested (vs. interested) -- (not having or showing interest; "an uninterested spectator")

Sense 2
blunted, dulled -- (made dull or blunt)
       => dull (vs. sharp) -- (not having a sharp edge or point; "the knife was too dull to be of any use")

Sense 3
dulled, greyed -- (deprived of color; "colors dulled by too much sun"; "greyed with the dust of the road")
       => colorless (vs. colorful), colourless -- (weak in color; not colorful)