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
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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
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Recent Examples of humdrum
Belinda Luscombe, Time, 6 Dec. 2025
Poised at the end of a humdrum interglacial, in an otherwise chilly corner of Earth history, industrial civilization is emitting carbon dioxide at a clip 10 times faster than the apocalyptic volcanoes of the end-Permian mass extinction.
—Peter Brannen, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
Rachel Kurzius, Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2026
Certainly the humdrum of legislation or bureaucratic rule-marking is nothing like the gossipy speculation about who may or may not bid to lead California as its 41st governor.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for humdrum
Adjective
Not all of them were hits, but nearly all of them were worth stopping and really looking at, a burst of visual peculiarity in an often humdrum urban streetscape.
—Belinda Luscombe, Time, 6 Dec. 2025
Poised at the end of a humdrum interglacial, in an otherwise chilly corner of Earth history, industrial civilization is emitting carbon dioxide at a clip 10 times faster than the apocalyptic volcanoes of the end-Permian mass extinction.
—Peter Brannen, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
Noun
No, no, nothing as humdrum as all that.
—Rachel Kurzius, Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2026
Certainly the humdrum of legislation or bureaucratic rule-marking is nothing like the gossipy speculation about who may or may not bid to lead California as its 41st governor.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for humdrum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for humdrum
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
Noun
-
According to Wröbel, this shift is a direct response to the growing monotony of online shopping.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
5 Feb. 2026
-
How it is celebrated Groundhog Day is a playful civic tradition in Pennsylvania that helps break up the long winter monotony.—
Doris Alvarez Cea,
Florida Times-Union,
2 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
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
Noun
-
Pets staying at home alone while owners work suffer from boredom, which can cause chronic psychological distress and health problems.—
Margret Grebowicz,
Fortune,
13 Feb. 2026
-
But the flip side of such routine is the potential for boredom and lethargy.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
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
Noun
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Her clothes became more monotone in color, with fewer patterns but remained rich texturally.—
Julia Rabinowitsch,
Vogue,
29 Jan. 2026
-
In Italy, neutrals aren’t limited to just black, as warm tones like a chocolate brown add depth to an otherwise monotone outfit.—
Julia Morlino,
Travel + Leisure,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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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
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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
-
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
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Humdrum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humdrum. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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