a situation in which life seems irrational and meaningless; "The absurd is the essential concept and the first truth"--Albert Camus
inconsistent with reason or logic or common sense; "the absurd predicament of seeming to argue that virtue is highly desirable but intensely unpleasant"- Walter Lippman
incongruous;inviting ridicule; "the absurd excuse that the dog ate his homework"; "that's a cockeyed idea"; "ask a nonsensical question and get a nonsensical answer"; "a contribution so small as to be laughable"; "it is ludicrous to call a cottage a mansion"; "a preposterous attempt to turn back the pages of history"; "her conceited assumption of universal interest in her rather dull children was ridiculous"
a mechanical device in a camera that controls size of aperture of the lens; "the new cameras adjust the diaphragm automatically"
electro-acoustic transducer that vibrates to receive or produce sound waves
a contraceptive device consisting of a flexible dome-shaped cup made of rubber or plastic; it is filled with spermicide and fitted over the uterine cervix
(anatomy) a muscular partition separating the abdominal and thoracic cavities; functions in respiration
(of business) not active or brisk; "business is dull (or slow)"; "a sluggish market"
emitting or reflecting very little light; "a dull glow"; "dull silver badly in need of a polish"; "a dull sky"
(of color) very low in saturation; highly diluted; "dull greens and blues"
darkened with overcast; "a dark day"; "a dull sky"; "a grey rainy afternoon"; "grey clouds"; "the sky was leaden and thick"
not having a sharp edge or point; "the knife was too dull to be of any use"
not keenly felt; "a dull throbbing"; "dull pain"
lacking in liveliness or animation; "he was so dull at parties"; "a dull political campaign"; "a large dull impassive man"; "dull days with nothing to do"; "how dull and dreary the world is"; "fell back into one of her dull moods"
being or made softer or less loud or clear; "the dull boom of distant breaking waves"; "muffled drums"; "the muffled noises of the street"; "muted trumpets"
not clear and resonant; sounding as if striking with or against something relatively soft; "the dull thud"; "thudding bullets"
blunted in responsiveness or sensibility; "a dull gaze"; "so exhausted she was dull to what went on about her"- Willa Cather
make less lively or vigorous; "Middle age dulled her appetite for travel"
become dull or lusterless in appearance; lose shine or brightness; "the varnished table top dulled with time"
make dull in appearance; "Age had dulled the surface"
make dull or blunt; "Too much cutting dulls the knife's edge"
the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience; "the gist of the prosecutor's argument"; "the heart and soul of the Republican Party"; "the nub of the story"
a single whole grain of a cereal; "a kernel of corn"
the inner and usually edible part of a seed or grain or nut or fruit stone; "black walnut kernels are difficult to get out of the shell"
fraught with uncertainty or doubt; "they were doubtful that the cord would hold"; "it was doubtful whether she would be admitted"; "dubious about agreeing to go"
open to doubt or suspicion; "the candidate's doubtful past"; "he has a dubious record indeed"; "what one found uncertain the other found dubious or downright false"; "it was more than dubitable whether the friend was as influential as she thought"- Karen Horney
unsettled in mind or opinion; "drew a few tentative conclusions"