leaden
leaden Lexical Profile
leaden Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Dull, heavy, or slow in movement, thought, or feeling, as if weighed down by lead.
"After running the marathon, he dragged his leaden legs up the stairs to his apartment."
Of a dull, dark gray color resembling the metal lead, especially in reference to overcast skies or water.
"A cold wind blew across the harbor beneath a low, leaden sky."
Made of or consisting of the metal lead (now chiefly literary or archaic).
"The ancient document was sealed inside a small leaden casket."
Word Nuance & Usage
In modern usage, 'leaden' is almost exclusively used figuratively to describe heaviness, dullness, or dark gray skies, whereas the noun adjunct 'lead' is preferred for objects literally made of the metal (e.g., 'lead pipes' rather than 'leaden pipes').
• Rhymes for leaden
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from Old English 'lēaden', meaning 'made of lead', formed from 'lēad' (the metal) and the suffix '-en' denoting material composition.