monotonous
adjective
mo·not·o·nous
mə-ˈnä-tə-nəs 
-ˈnät-nəs
1
: uttered or sounded in one unvarying tone : marked by a sameness of pitch and intensity
a monotonous voice
2
: tediously uniform or unvarying
a monotonous job
monotonously
adverb
monotonousness
noun
Examples of monotonous in a Sentence
Altogether, millions of mostly obscure entries in the public record offer details of a forced labor system of monotonous enormity.
—
Douglas A. Blackmon, Slavery By Another Name, 2008
At times, the grayness of the place was consumed by its own monotonous noise, of bars clanging, of inmates being led through the corridors, of guards yelling out orders …
—Benjamin Weiser, New York Times Magazine, 6 Aug. 2000
The monotonous chant of the indoctrinated, ideologically armored from head to foot …
—Philip Roth, American Pastoral, 1997
The crickets stridulated their everlasting monotonous meaningful note.
—John Updike, The Witches of Eastwick, 1984
the lecturer's monotonous delivery threatened to put us to sleep
Douglas A. Blackmon, Slavery By Another Name, 2008
At times, the grayness of the place was consumed by its own monotonous noise, of bars clanging, of inmates being led through the corridors, of guards yelling out orders …
—Benjamin Weiser, New York Times Magazine, 6 Aug. 2000
The monotonous chant of the indoctrinated, ideologically armored from head to foot …
—Philip Roth, American Pastoral, 1997
The crickets stridulated their everlasting monotonous meaningful note.
—John Updike, The Witches of Eastwick, 1984
the lecturer's monotonous delivery threatened to put us to sleep
Recent Examples on the Web
The filling is anything but monotonous, with layers of ricotta, shredded provolone, Italian sausage, and fresh kale.
—Maggie Meyer Glisan, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Feb. 2026
On the hunt for a recipe to break you out of your monotonous meal routine?
—Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 2 Feb. 2026
Now, for a vocation that can often be rigid and monotonous, Santos is looking to turn up the dial a bit on his artistic flair.
—Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
Around Springfield, too, I-55 is congested and hazardous, while in rural areas its monotonous straightaways invite motorists to floor it.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for monotonous
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Maggie Meyer Glisan, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Feb. 2026
On the hunt for a recipe to break you out of your monotonous meal routine?
—Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 2 Feb. 2026
Now, for a vocation that can often be rigid and monotonous, Santos is looking to turn up the dial a bit on his artistic flair.
—Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
Around Springfield, too, I-55 is congested and hazardous, while in rural areas its monotonous straightaways invite motorists to floor it.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for monotonous
Cite this Entry
“Monotonous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monotonous. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
monotonous
adjective
mo·not·o·nous
mə-ˈnät-ᵊn-əs
-ˈnät-nəs
1
: uttered or sounded in one unchanging tone
2
: boring from being always the same
a monotonous task
monotonously
adverb
monotonousness
noun
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