monotony

noun

mo·​not·​o·​ny mə-ˈnä-tə-nē How to pronounce monotony (audio)
-ˈnät-nē
1
: tedious sameness
the monotony of the landscape
the monotony of prison life
fixing a variety of foods to avoid monotonySHAPE
2
: sameness of tone or sound
the soft monotony of her voice

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
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.
Determined to make a difference and shake up the monotony of his duties in the City of Angels, Gabriel meddles in the life of Arj (Ansari), a struggling gig worker making ends meet by taking on various gig economy jobs and stocking Home Depot shelves, all while living in his car. Jessica Wang, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Sep. 2025 Mix Cabinet Types Break up the monotony of just uppers and lowers—and achieve a more elevated, designer look—by mixing cabinet types. Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 1 Sep. 2025 Building a community of moms who also nurse can break up the monotony of your daily routine, give you a chance to have adult conversations, and provide a source of moral support. Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 27 Aug. 2025 Breathtaking in their monotony. Literary Hub, 8 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for monotony

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of monotony was in 1636

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Monotony.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monotony. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

monotony

noun
mo·​not·​o·​ny mə-ˈnät-ᵊn-ē How to pronounce monotony (audio)
-ˈnät-nē
plural monotonies
1
: sameness of tone or sound
2
: lack of variety
especially : a lack of change that causes boredom

More from Merriam-Webster on monotony

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!