humdrum

hum·drum | \ ˈhəm-ˌdrəm

How to pronounce humdrum (audio)

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Definition of humdrum

: monotonous, dull

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Examples of humdrum in a Sentence

She liked the movie, but I thought it was humdrum. another humdrum day at the office

Recent Examples on the Web Even the more humdrum livestock sacrificed at the site point to Navan Fort’s significance. — Brigit Katz, Smithsonian Magazine, "People Trekked Across Ireland to Eat Pork at This Ancient Site," 31 Dec. 2019 Calamities will befall the March family, as will good fortune; heartache, romance, love and betrayal will course through their lives with epic intensity and humdrum dailiness. — Ann Hornaday, Houston Chronicle, "‘Little Women’ is a very nearly perfect film, a new classic," 20 Dec. 2019 Afterward what seem to be standard, humdrum galaxies emerge from the diminished glare. — Shannon Hall, Scientific American, "Lights Out: Astronomers Illuminate the Mystery of Vanishing Quasars," 12 Dec. 2019 Beyond the classical world, knights in the middle ages were wont to burnish their victories by exaggerating the importance of battles and downplaying the part played by more humdrum modes of warring (such as raiding) in delivering them. — Cian O'driscoll, Quartz, "The myth of victory in modern warfare," 2 Dec. 2019 Ostensibly the election was merely about picking 450-odd representatives to district councils—bodies that recommend policies relating to humdrum local problems. — The Economist, "Hong Kong’s democracy movement has gained a big electoral boost," 28 Nov. 2019 Chef Tommy Cleary and his team have produced a menu that displays mastery over the format: Even skeptics who refuse to order chicken at restaurants will find dining here to be far from humdrum. — San Francisco Chronicle, "Soleil Ho | Hina Yakitori’s $110 tasting menu unleashes the power of poultry, and it's worth it," 29 Nov. 2019 Turns out, this narrower focus on cloning in an otherwise humdrum life is the fresh element that the trope needed. — Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, "Clone Rudd: Living with Yourself is great sci-fi in the Orphan Black mold," 18 Oct. 2019 To be good, it must be built on moments—the eruption of the theatrical, the fortuitous, or the inexplicable, into the humdrum everyday. — Chris Wiley, The New Yorker, "Bruce Gilden’s Gritty Vision of a Lost New York," 11 Nov. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'humdrum.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

15 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Humdrum.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/humdrum. Accessed 19 January 2020.

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