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
James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2025
Wellesley’s Cliff Estates neighborhood is so desirable, even the most humdrum Colonial would have new buyers lining up.
—Miriam Schwartz, Boston Herald, 13 Apr. 2025
So, try as Affleck might to paint his split from Lopez as humdrum and run-of-the-mill, I am now riveted by the mystery of it.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 25 Mar. 2025
Entire sequences are devoted to tasks as humdrum as rebooting a ship’s computer (which involves untangling a lot of wires) and shepherding a little robotic sub to try retrieving Lemons, which resembles a very tense version of a fairground claw game.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for humdrum
Adjective
Can the Emmys finally break its humdrum host streak?
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2025
Wellesley’s Cliff Estates neighborhood is so desirable, even the most humdrum Colonial would have new buyers lining up.
—Miriam Schwartz, Boston Herald, 13 Apr. 2025
So, try as Affleck might to paint his split from Lopez as humdrum and run-of-the-mill, I am now riveted by the mystery of it.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 25 Mar. 2025
Entire sequences are devoted to tasks as humdrum as rebooting a ship’s computer (which involves untangling a lot of wires) and shepherding a little robotic sub to try retrieving Lemons, which resembles a very tense version of a fairground claw game.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for humdrum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for humdrum
Adjective
-
There are occasional boring stretches, along with confounding ones.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
3 Aug. 2025
-
At the end of the day, Stone relied on all of the wardrobe classics to turn boring old sports merch into a sartorial home run.—
Emily Tannenbaum,
Glamour,
31 July 2025
Noun
-
Frieda longs to stand out and is instantly bored of her new small-town life, while Maria finds comfort in the monotony.—
Barry Levitt,
Vulture,
18 Apr. 2025
-
Family vacations, in particular, give you and your family a chance to get away from the monotony of everyday routine and be fully present with one another.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, Kennedy’s opponent, Vice President Richard Nixon, seemed to embody what voters were tiring of—the stale complacency and status quo of the 1950s.—
Time,
Time,
23 July 2025
-
There are only so many new stories to be told, and audiences seem to be tiring of the monotony.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
23 July 2025
Noun
-
As seen only in the episodes, the major arcs of this season of Love Island have been tedious to the point of boredom.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
9 July 2025
-
This can stem from boredom or a desire for stimulation, or even a territorial instinct to protect the dog's territory against intruders.—
Maria Morava,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 July 2025
Adjective
-
The only other real difference was that the no-sugar version looked shinier and gummier, whereas the originals were a bit duller in comparison.—
Lisa DeSantis,
Glamour,
29 July 2025
-
Changeable conditions usually make for exciting races, but 2025 was a bit dull.—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
28 July 2025
Noun
-
Especially when the side effects are being recited rapid-fire in a monotone that’s barely audible.—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Oc Register,
25 June 2025
-
In a low, monotone voice, a downtrodden Ben Brown tried to explain another start that had gone awry.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
24 June 2025
Adjective
-
Progress toward the opening of the micro-home village has been slow following a ceremonial groundbreaking held in July 2023.—
Joseph Flaherty,
Arkansas Online,
30 July 2025
-
As elevated mortgage rates continue to put a damper on the housing market locally and nationally, rising inventory, slower sales and lower prices have made for more favorable conditions for potential buyers in the Austin-area housing market.—
Shonda Novak,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
Adjective
-
Many senior party and military leaders, weary after years of a punishing civil war, were reluctant to go up against the strongest force in the world.—
M. Taylor Fravel,
Foreign Affairs,
18 July 2025
-
There’s no rest for the weary — or in this case, the Florida Panthers.—
Kaitlyn Pohly,
Miami Herald,
16 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Humdrum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humdrum. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share