lackluster vs lifeless

lackluster

adj
  • Having no shine or lustre; dull. 

  • Not exceptional; not worthy of special merit, attention, or interest; having no vitality. 

  • Lacking brilliance or intelligence. 

noun
  • Lack of brightness or points of interest. 

  • A person or thing of no particular brilliance or intelligence. 

lifeless

adj
  • dull or lacking vitality 

  • inanimate; having no life 

  • dead; having lost life 

  • uninhabited, or incapable of supporting life 

How often have the words lackluster and lifeless occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )