as in boring
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest
she leads a humdrum life that will never be made into a major motion picture a humdrum meal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in monotony
a tedious lack of variety
loathed the humdrum of daily life in a small town
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of humdrum
Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 27 Jan. 2025
Commercial humdrum use of AI will be the mainstay, while breathtaking breakthroughs in AI will be discovered in other countries but not here.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025
Before his death in 2019, Kevin Killian published more than one million words across nearly 2,400 Amazon reviews—a collection of writing that transcends its humdrum genre.
—Brendan Fitzgerald, Longreads, 26 Dec. 2024
For decades, insuring California’s homes, farms and commercial properties was a humdrum business of willing sellers and willing buyers.
—Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 18 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for humdrum
Adjective
In an effort to take responsibility, Rico gets a job with a restaurant cleaning staff, but that humdrum routine only highlights the daunting prospect of raising a child, putting a strain in his relationships.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 27 Jan. 2025
Commercial humdrum use of AI will be the mainstay, while breathtaking breakthroughs in AI will be discovered in other countries but not here.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025
Before his death in 2019, Kevin Killian published more than one million words across nearly 2,400 Amazon reviews—a collection of writing that transcends its humdrum genre.
—Brendan Fitzgerald, Longreads, 26 Dec. 2024
For decades, insuring California’s homes, farms and commercial properties was a humdrum business of willing sellers and willing buyers.
—Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 18 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for humdrum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for humdrum
Adjective
-
Camilla told Newsweek that her husband, Linford, 32, works as a tunnel boring machine operator in London.—
Arick Wierson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Apr. 2025
-
Take it from this guy, who bought the beautiful Starfield limited-edition Xbox controller, headset, and console wrap for over $200, only to play the game and dump it after 20 boring hours.—
Matt Gardner,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Immediate feedback during practice creates tight learning loops that accelerate mastery, while varied approaches prevent the monotony that leads to disengagement.—
Dr. Aviva Legatt,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Even after just a short preview, the game’s monotony was a bore, which is a cardinal sin.—
Kazuma Hashimoto,
Rolling Stone,
31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Ultimately, many on the internet have identified this week as a particularly tiring one for Black K-pop fans.—
Jennifer Zhan,
Vulture,
6 Apr. 2025
-
Of course, going from shows to pickleball classes to after-hours jam sessions at B.B. King’s Blues Club can be tiring.—
DeMarco Williams,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Puzzle toys and long walks are just two ways to keep your pets happy and ward off boredom.—
Maddie Topliff,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Apr. 2025
-
These men would have long periods of time being idle, and the contrast between boredom and peril is pretty extreme.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The additional compounds in matcha dull this effect.—
Helen Carefoot,
Verywell Health,
11 Apr. 2025
-
For the rest of us, a real musical comedy is a cause for celebration; most are either too tuneless to be musicals or too dull to be comedies.—
Jesse Green,
New York Times,
11 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
His monotone responses and repetitive hand gestures can often appear robotic.—
Ramsey Touchberry,
The Washington Examiner,
31 Mar. 2025
-
Nobody wants to endure another monotone lecture on corporate compliance.—
Chris "Shmiddy" Schmidt,
Forbes,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Samsung is neck and neck with Google, but its updates are often slower and more limited on older phones.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
10 Apr. 2025
-
The slowest builder finished before the one who overslept.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
And a simple chat at a Chinese restaurant, like the one between the dyspeptic Dave Moss (Bill Burr) and the weary George Aaronow (Michael McKean), might turn out to have been criminal entrapment.—
Helen Shaw,
New Yorker,
4 Apr. 2025
-
Inside, a queue of solemn, weary visitors moved slowly down a long hallway toward the cafeteria.—
Rick Bragg,
Southern Living,
3 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Humdrum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humdrum. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share