Terne (en. Dull)

/tɛʁn/

Meaning & Definition

EnglishFrench

adjective

That which is without shine, lacking color or brightness.

The sky was dull, covered with gray clouds.

Le ciel était terne, couvert de nuages gris.

That which lacks enthusiasm or liveliness.

His presentation was dull and boring.

Sa présentation était terne et ennuyeuse.

That which has no character, which is banal.

This movie is too dull for my taste, it lacks originality.

Ce film est trop terne à mon goût, il manque d'originalité.

From the Latin 'ternus', meaning 'triple', but in Old French it evolved to mean 'dim' or 'dull'.

a dull day

A day without shine or significant events.

un jour terne

a dull discussion

A conversation lacking interest or enthusiasm.

une discussion terne

dulling

The action of making dull or the state of that which has become dull.

ternissement

to dull

To dull, to fade the color.

terner

Not interesting at all.

That concert was dull, I was bored.

Ce concert était terne, je me suis ennuyé.

Something banal.

His style is really dull, there’s nothing original.

Son style est vraiment terne, il n'y a rien d'original.