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Added 10 October 2026

lull

/lʌl/ noun

In Latin: quiēs Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about lull at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A period of rest or soothing.
A period of reduced activity; a respite.
A period without waves or wind.

verb

To cause to rest by soothing influences; to compose; to calm
To become gradually calm; to subside; to cease or abate.
The storm lulled.
To give somebody a false sense of security so that an unpleasant situation takes the person by surprise.
They lulled us into thinking we still had time.

Origin

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”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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