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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For a movie whose chief anthem is an advertisement for the joys of defying gravity, Wicked is surprisingly leaden, with a promise of more of the same to come. Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 20 Nov. 2024 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 See all Example Sentences for leaden 

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 1 Dec. 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!