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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ho hum
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
Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 12 Sep. 2025
The Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman starring title has bad reviews at 63% and a ho-hum audience score of 76%.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ho hum
Adjective
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
Interjection
The Gophers’ strong nonconference schedule and corresponding ho-hum home slate might have something to do with a dip in season tickets sold.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 12 Sep. 2025
The Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman starring title has bad reviews at 63% and a ho-hum audience score of 76%.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ho hum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ho hum
Adjective
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Though the pacing and breadth of the episode ensure that things never get boring, not all the stories are equally compelling.—
Scott Meslow,
Vulture,
30 Oct. 2025
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Klum doesn't want to let anyone down by choosing the boring or easy way out with a costume.—
Hedy Phillips,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Tiles also exhibited hysteresis, which was smaller at slower speeds due to the rubber’s viscoelastic properties, as reported by Nanowerk.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Nov. 2025
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Levi, an electrical engineer who founded MicroKits in 2020, has had to raise prices, slow production and pause plans to launch a new product – Banan-a-Synth – that lets kids turn a bunch of bananas into a kind of keyboard.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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But Braun was solid before tiring and working through injuries that affected him on the ball over the final month last season.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
17 Oct. 2025
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Instead of a chance to flex their goalscoring muscles, United had to grit their teeth and see out a gruelling, tense, tiring second half.—
Tamerra Griffin,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The dull stories the show crafts around them add no insight or substance.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
30 Oct. 2025
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But becoming a lawyer wasn’t his calling, and being dull wasn’t his nature.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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And that’s a stupid, dumb, mindless question.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
25 Oct. 2025
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Dessert Week is the stupidest week, at least conceptually.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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And yet, for all my disdain, there's a morbid lovableness to Pattinson's portrayal that manages to disarm the weary cynic that's grown with age.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
31 Oct. 2025
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But according to the song's very own author, the weary search for reasons is more the point than the restoration of belief.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Oct. 2025
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
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Estimates based on a family with two 40-year-old parents with two children, 10 years and 5 years old.—
Berkeley Lovelace Jr,
NBC news,
31 Oct. 2025
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So long as that situation continues, the 43-year-old’s allegedly arrogant and stand-offish treatment of his players will not worry the club hierarchy too much.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ho hum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ho%20hum. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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