as in boring
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest
the characterizations are good, but the plot is just ho-hum
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ho-hum
Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 25 Dec. 2025
At ho-hum games, large swaths of seats in the upper bowl are empty.
—John Seabrook, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
Bill Field, Hartford Courant, 19 June 2025
Depending on whether the context is stable (everyday ho hum) or unstable (e.g., COVID-19; tariff wars; geopolitical instability etc.), the cues that get signalled and the way leaders signal these messages change.
—Ellen Choi, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ho-hum
Adjective
Cross over, and suddenly ho-hum drugstores and fast-food restaurants transform into vibrant shops and cafes.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 25 Dec. 2025
At ho-hum games, large swaths of seats in the upper bowl are empty.
—John Seabrook, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
Interjection
The distinction between being unique and ho hum is as thin as the crust.
—Bill Field, Hartford Courant, 19 June 2025
Depending on whether the context is stable (everyday ho hum) or unstable (e.g., COVID-19; tariff wars; geopolitical instability etc.), the cues that get signalled and the way leaders signal these messages change.
—Ellen Choi, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ho-hum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ho-hum
Adjective
-
The boring lunch ends boringly, with the women sipping their champagne in silence, tucking into their salads, and ignoring the commemorative glasses that no one wanted.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
-
This sounds like a boring event but the boys turn the act of breaking up ice or sleet sheets from the sidewalk into a hockey-like competition.—
Caleb Harris,
Austin American Statesman,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
That builds on similar trends throughout 2025, when the industry buoyed an otherwise slow labor market, as the nation’s hospitals, clinics and nursing homes kept hiring even as many employers pulled back.—
Abha Bhattarai,
Washington Post,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Any type of realism was [limited to] very short clips, everything was very slow, bad textures, no skin textures, lacking detail.—
Arjun Kharpal,
CNBC,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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It's been a cold, tiring week, but the light at the end of the tunnel that is a Saturday at Ikea picking out lamp shades is finally within sight.—
Joe Mutascio,
IndyStar,
6 Feb. 2026
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But studies have also shown that consuming caffeine before a mentally tiring task reduces the feeling of cognitive fatigue.—
Katharine Gammon,
Time,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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But all work and no play can make for a dull chief medical officer.—
Ed Silverman,
STAT,
30 Jan. 2026
-
People living in Bridgeville were excited to see dull pavement.—
Chris Hoffman,
CBS News,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
But maybe Johnson isn’t stupid.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Such as the one where the candidate remarked that some white rural Americans were stupid and racist.—
Mark Leibovich,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
Interjection
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The new iPad Pro marks the point midway between the way things were (Bezel? Yuck!) and the way they soon will be (Nothing but screen.—
David Pierce,
WIRED,
12 June 2017
Adjective
-
The medley for winter-weary Americans has included everything from aching backs from shoveling to sore throats to frozen noses.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
7 Feb. 2026
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The mascara, previously available only in black, holds up through long days spent staring at a screen, the occasional weary eye rub, and (believe it or not) raucous weddings.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Given James is 41 years old, there was always going to be load management absences, especially on back-to-backs.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
11 Feb. 2026
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Brain game may reduce risk of Alzheimer’s A certain type of brain training appears to prevent or delay dementia by some 25% in people older than age 65.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ho-hum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ho-hum. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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