different between loose vs dull

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English loos, los, lous, from Old Norse lauss, from Proto-Germanic *lausaz, whence also -less, leasing; from Proto-Indo-European *lewH-, *l?- (“to untie, set free, separate”), whence also lyo-, -lysis, via Ancient Greek.

Pronunciation

• enPR: lo?os, IPA^(key): /lu?s/
• Rhymes: -u?s

Verb

loose (third-person singular simple present looses, present participle loosing, simple past and past participle loosed)

1. (transitive) To let loose, to free from restraints.
2. (transitive) To unfasten, to loosen.
3. (transitive) To make less tight, to loosen.
4. (intransitive) Of a grip or hold, to let go.
5. (archery) To shoot (an arrow).
6. (obsolete) To set sail.
   • 1611: King James Bible, Acts 13:13

     Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem.

7. (obsolete) To solve; to interpret.

   • he had red her riddle, which no wight
     Could ever loose

Synonyms

• (let loose): free, release
• (unfasten): loosen, unbind, undo, unfasten, untie
• (make less tight): loosen, relax, slacken
• (of grip or hold): let go, release
• (archery): fire, shoot

Antonyms

• (let loose): bind, constrain
• (unfasten): bind, fasten, tie
• (make less tight): tighten
• (of grip or hold): tighten
• (archery): fast

Derived terms

• loose off

Translations

Adjective

loose (comparative looser, superlative loosest)

1. Not fixed in place tightly or firmly.

2. Not held or packaged together.

3. Not under control.
4. Not fitting closely

5. Not compact.
6. Relaxed.

7. Not precise or exact; vague; indeterminate.
   • 1858, William Whewell, The history of scientific ideas

     The comparison employed […] must be considered rather as a loose analogy than as an exact scientific explanation.

8. Indiscreet.

9. (somewhat dated) Free from moral restraint; immoral, unchaste.
   • 1819, Lord Byron, Don Juan, I:

     In all these he was much and deeply read; / But not a page of any thing that's loose, / Or hints continuation of the species, / Was ever suffer'd, lest he should grow vicious.
10. (not comparable, sports) Not being in the possession of any competing team during a game.
11. (dated) Not costive; having lax bowels.
12. (of volumes of materials) Measured loosely stacked or disorganized (such as of firewood).

    Coordinate terms: stacked, solid

Synonyms

• (not fixed in place tightly or firmly): unfastened, unsecured; see also Thesaurus:loose
• (not held or packaged together): separate, unpackaged
• (not bound or tethered or leashed): free, untethered
• (not fitting closely): baggy; see also Thesaurus:loose-fitting
• (not compact): diffuse, spaced out; see also Thesaurus:diffuse
• (relaxed): loose-limbed, relaxed; see also Thesaurus:carefree
• (indiscreet): indiscreet
• (promiscuous): polygamous, promiscuous, slutty, tarty, whorish; see also Thesaurus:promiscuous

Antonyms

• (not fixed in place tightly or firmly): firm, tight; see also Thesaurus:tight
• (not held or packaged together): packaged
• (not bound or tethered or leashed): bound, leashed, tethered, tied, tied up
• (not fitting closely): close-fitting, snug, tight; see also Thesaurus:close-fitting
• (not compact): compact, firm; see also Thesaurus:compact
• (relaxed): tense, tensed
• (indiscreet): discreet
• (promiscuous): faithful, monogamous

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

loose (plural looses)

1. (archery) The release of an arrow.
2. (obsolete) A state of laxity or indulgence; unrestrained freedom, abandonment.
3. (rugby) All play other than set pieces (scrums and line-outs).
   • 2011, Tom Fordyce, Rugby World Cup 2011: England 12-19 France [4]

     The defeat will leave manager Martin Johnson under pressure after his gamble of pairing Jonny Wilkinson and Toby Flood at 10 and 12 failed to ignite the England back line, while his forwards were repeatedly second best at the set-piece and in the loose.

4. Freedom from restraint.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Prior to this entry?)

   • Vent all its griefs, and give a loose to sorrow.

   • The doctor now interposed, and prevented the effects of a wrath which was kindling between Jones and Thwackum; after which the former gave a loose to mirth, sang two or three amorous songs, and fell into every frantic disorder which unbridled joy is apt to inspire […]

5. A letting go; discharge.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Ben Jonson to this entry?)

Derived terms

• give a loose

Interjection

loose

1. (archery) begin shooting; release your arrows

Antonyms

• (archery: begin shooting): fast

Translations

Related terms

• forlorn
• lyo-, ly-
• -lysis
• lysis

Etymology 2

Verb

loose

1. Misspelling of lose.

   I'm going to loose this game.

Derived terms

• looser

Anagrams

• oleos

French

Etymology

Hypercorrectively from English lose or from looseur.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /luz/

Noun

loose f (uncountable)

1. Great pettiness, shabbiness

English

Alternative forms

• dul, dulle (all obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English dull, dul (also dyll, dill, dwal), from Old English dol (“dull, foolish, erring, heretical; foolish, silly; presumptuous”), from Proto-Germanic *dulaz, a variant of *dwalaz (“stunned, mad, foolish, misled”), from Proto-Indo-European *d?wel-, *d?ewel- (“to dim, dull, cloud, make obscure, swirl, whirl”). Cognate with Scots dull, doll (“slow to understand or hear, deaf, dull”), North Frisian dol (“rash, unthinking, giddy, flippant”), Dutch dol (“crazy, mad, insane”), Low German dul, dol (“mad, silly, stupid, fatuous”), German toll (“crazy, mad, wild, fantastic”), Danish dval (“foolish, absurd”), Icelandic dulur (“secretive, silent”), West-Flemish dul (angry, furious).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d?l/
  • (Canada) IPA^(key): /d?l/, /d?l/, /d??/
• (US)
• Rhymes: -?l

Adjective

dull (comparative duller, superlative dullest)

1. Lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp.

2. Boring; not exciting or interesting.

3. Not shiny; having a matte finish or no particular luster or brightness.

   a dull fire or lamp;? a dull red or yellow;? a dull mirror

   • A great bargain also had been the excellent Axminster carpet which covered the floor; as, again, the arm-chair in which Bunting now sat forward, staring into the dull, small fire.

4. Not bright or intelligent; stupid; having slow understanding.
5. Sluggish, listless.

   • This people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing.

   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, Faerie Queene

     O, help my weak wit and sharpen my dull tongue.
6. Cloudy, overcast.

7. Insensible; unfeeling.

   • Think me not / So dull a devil to forget the loss / Of such a matchless wife.

8. Heavy; lifeless; inert.
   • c. 1857', Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Table-Talk

     As turning the logs will make a dull fire burn, so changes of study a dull brain.

9. (of pain etc) Not intense; felt indistinctly or only slightly.

   Pressing on the bruise produces a dull pain.

10. (of a noise or sound) Not clear, muffled.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:boring
• See also Thesaurus:stupid
• (not shiny): lackluster, matte

Antonyms

• bright
• intelligent
• sharp

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

dull (third-person singular simple present dulls, present participle dulling, simple past and past participle dulled)

1. (transitive) To render dull; to remove or blunt an edge or something that was sharp.

   Years of misuse have dulled the tools.

   • 1623, Francis Bacon, A Discourse of a War with Spain

     This […] dulled their swords.

2. (transitive) To soften, moderate or blunt; to make dull, stupid, or sluggish; to stupefy.

   He drinks to dull the pain.

   • 1850, Richard Chenevix Trench, Notes on the Miracles of Our Lord

     Use and custom have so dulled our eyes.

3. (intransitive) To lose a sharp edge; to become dull.

   A razor will dull with use.

4. To render dim or obscure; to sully; to tarnish.

Synonyms

• dullen

Translations

References

• dull in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• dull in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• ULDL

Welsh

Etymology

Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dey?- (“to show, point out”).

Pronunciation

• (North Wales) IPA^(key): /d???/
• (South Wales) IPA^(key): /d??/

Noun

dull m (plural dulliau)

1. method

Mutation

Further reading

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present) , “dull”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies

References