dulness

dulness (usually uncountable, plural dulnesses)

1. Archaic spelling of dullness.
   • 1807, [Germaine] de Staël Holstein, translated by D Lawler, “] Chap III.”, in Corinna; or, Italy. , volume III, London: Corri, ; and sold by Colburn, , and Mackenzie, , →OCLC, pages 18–19:

     He then sat down to contemplate, at his ease, that vivacity without motive, and without aim, which is found in most numerous assemblies; mediocrity in Italy is by no means a disagreeable character; it has little vanity, little jealousy, and much respect for superiority of mind; and if it fatigues with its dulness, it hardly ever offends by assuming.

   • 1815 December (indicated as 1816), [Jane Austen], chapter VII, in Emma: , volume III, London: for John Murray, →OCLC, page 113:

     At first it was downright dulness to Emma. She had never seen Frank Churchill so silent and stupid. He said nothing worth hearing — looked without seeing — admired without intelligence — listened without knowing what she said.

   • 1843 April, Thomas Carlyle, “chapter XIII, Democracy”, in Past and Present, American edition, Boston, Mass.: Charles C[offin] Little and James Brown, published 1843, →OCLC, book III (The Modern Worker):

     A smack of all Human Life lies in the Tailor: its wild struggles towards beauty, dignity, freedom, victory; and how, hemmed in by Sedan and Huddersfield, by Nescience, Dulness, Prurience, and other sad necessities and laws of Nature, it has attained just to this: Grey Savagery of Three Sacks with a hem!

   • 1887, Medical Press and Circular, volume 94, page 461:

     When all signs of effusion, dulness, pain, œgophony, and cough had disappeared he was dieted, stimulated, and tonicked.

• dunsels