Literary notes about dull brown (AI summary)
In literature, "dull brown" is often employed as a subtle, unspectacular hue that conveys a sense of muted realism and sometimes dreariness. Authors use it to describe a range of subjects—from the natural world, as in the barren, lackluster landscapes or the drab plumage of birds ([1], [2]), to human attributes like hair and eyes that suggest a wearied or aged quality ([3], [4], [5]). This color, devoid of vividness, is also applied to everyday objects and settings, such as walls or furniture, where it highlights an atmosphere of decay, neglect, or the simple passage of time ([6], [7]). Overall, the recurring use of "dull brown" in these examples helps establish a backdrop of subdued tone, inviting readers to perceive both the physical environment and its inhabitants in a more somber, realistic light.
- This is a tiny bird of dull brown hue which, as Jerdon says, has very much the aspect of a swallow.
— from Birds of the Indian Hills by Douglas Dewar - The snow lay gleaming and untrampled, except as here and there a dull brown patch of dead grass darkened the side of a hill.
— from Molly McDonaldA Tale of the Old Frontier by Randall Parrish - Her hair, a dull brown, streaked liberally with gray, was untidily arranged, stray locks of it falling about her ears.
— from The Red House MysteryThe Piccadilly Novels by Duchess - Sedgett turned his dull brown eyes on him, the thick and hateful flush of evil blood informing them with detestable malignity.
— from Rhoda Fleming — Complete by George Meredith - Her face was in a glow and her dull brown eyes had a glint in them that improved them very much.
— from The Girls at Mount Morris by Amanda M. Douglas - The high walls are covered with a sort of dull brown paper, and a few French chairs and bureaus are its only decoration.
— from Thirteen Years of a Busy Woman's Life by Mrs. (Ethel) Alec-Tweedie - Everything was a dull brown.
— from Heroic Spain by Elizabeth Boyle O'Reilly
