monotony

noun

mo·​not·​o·​ny mə-ˈnä-tə-nē 

-ˈnät-nē

1

: tedious sameness

the monotony of the landscape

the monotony of prison life

fixing a variety of foods to avoid monotony

—SHAPE

2

: sameness of tone or sound

the soft monotony of her voice

Synonyms of monotony

• boredom
• humdrum
• monotone

Examples of monotony in a Sentence

She hated the monotony of the job.

The brief storm was a relief from the monotony of the hot summer afternoon.

Recent Examples on the Web

Next year’s denim trends will be defined by softer fabrics, heritage constructions, and novelty details designed to cut through the monotony of a sea of blue. —Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 26 Jan. 2026

For long stretches, she was denied access to books and bridled against the monotony and regulation of institutional life. —Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026

Live tennis and live golf offer details that can’t be captured on television, but there are rules of decorum and big potential for monotony. —Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026

Intersperse specialty items—small pieces of art, decorative bowls, vases—between sets to break up the monotony. —Marisa Suzanne Martin, The Spruce, 17 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Late Latin monotonia "sameness of tone," borrowed from Greek monotonía (attested only in the work of quintillian), from monótonos "lacking variation in pitch, monotone entry 2" + -ia -y entry 2

First Known Use

1636, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for monotony

• botany
• cottony
• ethnobotany
• paleobotany

Kids Definition

monotony

noun

mo·​not·​o·​ny mə-ˈnät-ᵊn-ē 

-ˈnät-nē

plural monotonies

1

: sameness of tone or sound

2

: lack of variety

especially : a lack of change that causes boredom