: unvarying in tone or emphasis : monotonous
a one-note campaigner

Examples of one-note in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The actress indeed does a lot with a role that could easily be one-note, stealing nearly every scene in the process. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Nov. 2023 Other supporting figures are mostly one-note, including Olive Abercrombie as the inevitable sass-mouthed little sister to Zach. Dennis Harvey, Variety, 18 Oct. 2023 The less said about Kraven's snarling, one-note performance, the better. Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, 17 Oct. 2023 As such, the role could have easily been reduced to a bit part or a one-note villain. TIME, 13 Oct. 2023 Balanchine’s choreography was suddenly a one-note affair; this was a terrible way to show off his legacy. Gia Kourlas, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2023 There was nothing nice to say about the dry pork chop, which couldn’t be salvaged even after a dip in the accompanying honey and roasted garlic sauce, or a one-note side dish of creamed spinach doing a great imitation of glue. Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 29 Sep. 2023 One of the biggest weaknesses of Lucas’s partnership with fellow comedian Noel Fielding was their one-note double act. James Hansen, Bon Appétit, 28 Sep. 2023 In what at first feels like a one-note role, Maupas subtly finds the depths of hope beneath Severino’s judgmental surface. Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'one-note.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1956, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of one-note was in 1956

Dictionary Entries Near one-note

Cite this Entry

“One-note.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/one-note. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.

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