tedium

noun

te·​di·​um ˈtē-dē-əm How to pronounce tedium (audio)
1
: the quality or state of being tedious : tediousness
also : boredom
2
: a tedious period of time

Examples of tedium in a Sentence

The movie was three hours of tedium. I took a day off to relieve the tedium of work.
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.
The energy of dance, the rhythmic movements, and the respite from the noise and tedium of life, feed my soul. Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025 While many of the works, especially the drawings, have never appeared in Matisse shows, organizers initially worried that an exhibition focusing on the artist’s portraits of one person would veer into tedium. Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 June 2025 And there are many things that people can actually do to get this transcendence, to get away from the tedium of the psychodrama of your own life. Nbc News, NBC news, 25 May 2025 For the director’s detractors, these can be chunks of pure tedium, indicative of his hands-off, fly-on-the wall approach to cinema. Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 24 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tedium

Word History

Etymology

Latin taedium disgust, irksomeness, from taedēre to disgust, weary

First Known Use

1662, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tedium was in 1662

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tedium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tedium. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

tedium

noun
te·​di·​um ˈtēd-ē-əm How to pronounce tedium (audio)
: the quality or state of being tedious : boredom

More from Merriam-Webster on tedium

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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