lull
LULL
/lʌl/
To calm or send to sleep, typically with soothing sounds or movements; a temporary interval of quiet or lack of activity.
Often implies a deceptive or temporary calmness. If you are 'lulled into a false sense of security', the danger hasn't gone away; you've just stopped noticing it.
The story behind the word. This word is 'onomatopoeic'—it sounds like what it does. It mimics the 'lu-lu-lu' sounds mothers have made for millennia to soothe infants. It’s one of the oldest types of words in any language.
Word relationships
- soothe: Soothe is generally positive; lull often implies making someone less alert than they should be.
- awaken: Awaken means to rouse from sleep or inactivity.
Commonly confused with
- hull: A hull is the body of a ship; a lull is a quiet period.
Word family
- lullaby (noun): A quiet, gentle song sung to send a child to sleep.
Collocations
- lull to sleep
- lull into security
- a lull in the conversation
Idioms & expressions
- the calm before the storm
Example sentences
- "There was a brief lull in the storm before the wind picked up again with even greater fury." Describing a storm.
Memory hook
Lull: Sounds like a 'Lull-aby'. The sound of a lullaby.
When not to use
Don't use this for permanent peace; it almost always suggests a pause before more action.
Fun facts
- The word 'lullaby' is literally 'lull' + 'bye' (a regional word for 'near' or 'goodnight').
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.