noun
lull
luhl
noun
1
A temporary period of calm or reduced activity.
"There was a lull in the conversation before someone changed the subject."
"Traders took advantage of a lull in the storm to head back to port."
verb
1
To calm someone, or ease them into a false sense of security.
"The gentle rocking of the boat lulled her to sleep."
"Their early lead lulled the team into complacency."
How to Use Lull
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA quiet pause in something, or the act of calming someone down (sometimes so they let their guard down).
Common mistake
"Lull someone into a false sense of security" is the standard idiom — don't drop the "false."
Common pairings
lull in the fighting
lull someone to sleep
lull into a false sense of security
Word Forms
lulled past tense, lulls plural, Lulls plural, lulls singular
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Etymology
From Middle English lullen, thought to imitate the soft "la-la" or "lu-lu" sounds used to soothe a child — the same root that gives us lullaby.