dull vs soothe

dull

verb
  • To soften, moderate or blunt; to make dull, stupid, or sluggish; to stupefy. 

  • To render dull; to remove or blunt an edge or something that was sharp. 

  • To lose a sharp edge; to become dull. 

  • To render dim or obscure; to sully; to tarnish. 

adj
  • Not bright or intelligent; stupid; having slow understanding. 

  • Insensible; unfeeling. 

  • Not intense; felt indistinctly or only slightly. 

  • Sluggish, listless. 

  • Boring; not exciting or interesting. 

  • Not shiny; having a matte finish or no particular luster or brightness. 

  • Lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp. 

  • Cloudy, overcast. 

  • Heavy; lifeless; inert. 

  • Not clear, muffled. 

soothe

verb
  • To allay; assuage; mitigate; soften. 

  • To smooth over; render less obnoxious. 

  • To restore to ease, comfort, or tranquility; relieve; calm; quiet; refresh. 

  • To calm or placate someone or some situation. 

  • To keep in good humour; wheedle; cajole; flatter. 

  • To ease or relieve pain or suffering. 

  • To temporise by assent, concession, flattery, or cajolery. 

  • To bring comfort or relief. 

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