Lull Meaning
/lʌl/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounA period of rest or soothing.
nounA period of reduced activity; a respite.
Sentence Examples
The rains entered a lull.
Where did you lull them?
Because of the lull in the wind, we couldn't fly the kite.
CEFR Practice Quiz
After the strong winds died down, there was a brief ____ before the next wave of rain.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
There was a brief ____ in the conversation, during which everyone seemed to be lost in their thoughts.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English lullen, lollen. Originally, perhaps expressive in origin from la-la-la or lu-lu-lu sounds made in calming a child. Compare Finnish laulaa (“to sing”) and Hiligaynon lala (“to sing a lullaby”). Cognate with Scots lul, lule, loll (“to lull, put to sleep, howl, caterwaul”), Dutch lollen (“to sing badly, caterwaul”), Dutch lullen (“to chatter, prate, cheat, deceive”), Low German lullen (“to lull”), German lullen (“to lull”), Danish lulle (“to lull, sing to sleep”), Swedish lulla (“to lull”), Icelandic lúlla (“to lull”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"After this departure there is a lull—one can almost feel the weary station breathing thankfulness!—broken only by the car-sleeper departing at 10.25 from Platform 6 […]. There is normally another lull from 1.45 to 4.30 a.m. till the daily round begins again, […]."
— 1959 October 26, T. W. E. Roche, “Traffic Working at Dover Marine Station”, in Railway Magazine, page 682:
"[…] during the lull, wind shifted to S. E. […]"
— 1839, The Nautical Magazine and Naval Chronicle for 1839, page 26:
"After the lull the wind does not appear to have blown with any great strength […]"
— 1875, W. G. Wilson, Report of the Midnapore and Burdwan Cyclone of the 15th and 16th of October 1874, page 74:
"The air under each cloud has spent time near the surface, has been slowed and backed by friction—it is a lull."
— 2016, David Houghton, Fiona Campbell, Wind Strategy, not paginated:
"It is advisable to leave the surf zone during the lull between sets of larger waves, waiting outside the surf zone for a lull."
— 1992, John Warlaumont, The Noaa Diving Manual, page 19-19:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
After the strong winds died down, there was a brief ____ before the next wave of rain.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
There was a brief ____ in the conversation, during which everyone seemed to be lost in their thoughts.