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Dull Quotes

Lines on things that fail to hold our attention.

These dull quotes capture what happens when energy runs low, from lackluster film scenes to sermons that drag past their welcome. For a livelier mood, see our Amazing quotes.

Perfection has one grave defect: it is apt to be dull.

Quotes by W. Somerset Maugham

Too many church services start at eleven sharp and end at twelve dull.

Quotes by Vance Havner

I tend to find characters who lack vulnerability dull.

Quotes by Trenton Lee Stewart

It is to be noted that when any part of this paper appears dull there is a design in it.

Quotes by Richard Steele

Almighty Quotes

'The Robe' was lousy but an almighty hit. I was dull as ditchwater and an almighty flop.

Quotes by Richard Burton

Baseball is dull only to dull minds.

Quotes by Red Barber

There's certainly never a dull moment in the Stewart clan.

Quotes by Penny Lancaster

Investing should be dull. It shouldn't be exciting.

Quotes by Paul Samuelson

Bios are always so dull and boring.

Quotes by Patty Smyth

Always Quotes

How dull it is to have people defining you.

Quotes by Octavia E. Butler

I'd hate to be too grown-up. That would be dull.

Quotes by Keren Woodward

The British cinema had been very dull and conformist.

Quotes by Karel Reisz

It is respectable to have no illusions, and safe, and profitable and dull.

Joseph Conrad

On film, I'm very mysterious, but in life I'm very dull.

Quotes by Jennifer Jason Leigh

Amazing Quotes

Thoughtful lightness can make frivolity seem dull and heavy.

Quotes by Italo Calvino

If the individual is a unit in a corporate mass, his life is not merely brutish and short, but dull and mechanical.

Quotes by Herbert Read

I fell asleep reading a dull book and dreamed I kept on reading, so I awoke from sheer boredom.

Quotes by Heinrich Heine

A masterpiece... may be unwelcome but it is never dull.

Quotes by Gertrude Stein

England was incredibly dull and everything exciting seemed to be in America.

Quotes by Gerald Scarfe

America Quotes

I don't want to do architecture that's dry and dull.

Quotes by Frank Gehry

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of dullness do these quotes describe?
A mix — one notes that even perfection can drag if it lacks surprise, while others describe a personality trait, a slow-paced service, or a stretch of uninspired filmmaking.
Do any quotes link dullness to acting or storytelling?
Yes, one reflects on finding characters flat when they show no real vulnerability, suggesting emotional risk is what keeps a performance interesting.
Is dullness always seen as a bad thing here?
Mostly, though the framing varies — one quote treats it almost playfully, joking about a long church service running past its natural end point.
Does this topic touch on a specific film industry?
Yes, one perspective looks back at a period when a national cinema was seen as conformist and lacking energy or risk-taking.
How does Dull compare to Amazing quotes on this site?
Dull quotes explore what feels flat or uninspired, while our Amazing quotes cover the opposite end of that spectrum.

Whether describing a personality trait or a stretch of uninspired cinema, this collection shows how often 'dull' signals missed potential. Compare it with our Always or America quotes.