leaden

adjective

lead·​en ˈle-dᵊn How to pronounce leaden (audio)
1
a
: made of lead
b
: of the color of lead : dull gray
2
a
: oppressively heavy
b
c
: lacking spirit or animation
leadenly adverb
leadenness noun

Examples of leaden in a Sentence

a leaden performance of a classic American play that nearly put us to sleep the leaden sky made everything seem dark and depressing
Recent Examples on the Web Sources of support Back at the Denny’s parking lot, the sky had turned leaden gray, and Mckenzie bummed a cigarette from her best friend, Christina Bojorquez. Gale Holland, Anchorage Daily News, 17 July 2022 Stonemill Matcha pastry chef Mikiko Yui puts a refreshing twist on the classic, but occasionally leaden, chocolate cream pie with her matcha cream pie, sold by the bright green slice ($7.50) or available whole for holiday preorders at the Mission District cafe. Janelle Bitker, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 Nov. 2022 The men gasped, took deep useless breaths of the leaden wet air, and shambled forward grunting and sobbing, their arms slowly and inevitably bending toward the ground. David Denby, The New Yorker, 19 Dec. 2022 The show returned to a pre-Covid format, with the usual array of leaden gags, shameless commercialism and genuinely poignant moments. The New York Times, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2022 The last of the congregation has accordingly struck a deal with the developer Alchemy that promises to transform leaden weight into condo gold. Curbed, 18 July 2022 And for those with a more leaden foot, a high-performance all-wheel-drive model will soon be available. Brett Berk, Outside Online, 29 Nov. 2022 What would the holidays be without jokes about fruitcake — that it’s leaden, dry and hard, better used as a doorstop or dumbbell than served as dessert? Claire Saffitz, New York Times, 28 Nov. 2022 Trump’s leaden political touch has cost Republicans control of the Senate, and many in the party are finally willing to state the obvious out loud. Los Angeles Times, 13 Nov. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'leaden.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of leaden was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near leaden

Cite this Entry

“Leaden.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leaden. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

leaden

adjective
lead·​en ˈled-ᵊn How to pronounce leaden (audio)
1
a
: made of lead
b
: of the color of lead : dull gray
2
: low in quality : poor
3
a
: heavy and difficult to move
leaden feet
b
: lacking spirit : dull

More from Merriam-Webster on leaden

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