boring 1 of 3

adjective

ˈbȯr-iŋ How to pronounce boring (audio)
Definition of boringnext
as in tiring
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest I wish this book weren't so boring; I keep falling asleep whenever I try to read it

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

boring

2 of 3

verb (1)

present participle of bore
1
as in drilling
to make a hole or series of holes in some woodpecker bored holes in our tree in the backyard

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2
as in pushing
to force one's way with some effort, she bored through the throng of yelling protestors

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boring

3 of 3

verb (2)

present participle of bore
as in wearying
to make weary and restless by being dull or monotonous the professor's lifeless and unimaginative teaching style bored the students to death

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of boring
Adjective
Despite its tranquil reputation, knitting is anything but boring. — Emma Gometz, Scientific American, 8 Oct. 2026 On the North Side, a site is being prepped for the digging of an access tunnel 70 feet in diameter into which a giant boring machine will begin tunneling 15 miles under and along our three rivers. — Andy Sheehan, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026
Verb
The machinery that collapsed was a drill rig, which was boring holes for the pilings to support the weight of the supertall skyscraper that will go up on the site. — Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2026 Fortunately, his movies are boring af … Gibney just assembled a hit list of people who either have an axe to grind or don’t even know me. — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for boring
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boring
  1. tiring
  2. drilling
  3. pushing
  4. wearying
  5. stupid
  6. piercing
  7. squeezing
  8. exhausting
Adjective
  • Tommy Gemmell, advanced from left-back, provided the equaliser on 63 minutes and with Inter tiring and Celtic still pushing, Chalmers scored the famous winner with six minutes left.
    — Michael Walker, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • But after a while, the lack of grounding gets tiring, as various supernatural shenanigans appear to be determined more by plot convenience than anything else.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of tiring
Verb
  • Public-health and environmental advocates have also raised concerns about drilling near communities, including potential air- and water-quality harms.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The strings were installed by drilling holes with hot water, lowering the modules into the ice and allowing the holes to refreeze.
    — Daniella McCahey, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of drilling
Verb
  • Thank you to all the Filipino artists who remain passionate and tireless in pushing the boundaries of where Filipino music can be taken globally.
    — Jeff Benjamin, Billboard, 13 Oct. 2026
  • At its 2026 national summit, the book-ban-pushing, DEI-opposing, trans-fearing Moms of Liberty group unveiled a new AI tool designed to monitor school board agendas across more than 13,000 school districts nationwide.
    — Kenneal Patterson, Vanity Fair, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of pushing
Verb
  • But even at its most explicit, in documentaries, political cinema acts as an antidote to the culture’s wearying vogue for escapism.
    — Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
  • But for two hours the film is just set-piece after set-piece, backed by a deafening score, which becomes rather wearying.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 23 July 2026
Definition of wearying
Adjective
  • Doing so would be a stupid move for an Oval Office wannabe, one already hobbled by the progressive persona of the Golden State.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Republican Massachusetts Senate nominee John Deaton is not stupid.
    — Jon Keller, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of stupid
Verb
  • The individual who inflicted the fatal injury drove the spear downward through the victim’s left chest cavity from the front, piercing major arteries and the lungs before creating the hole in the left scapula.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 15 Oct. 2026
  • An argument between children over a pizza slice escalated into a 10-year-old girl having a knife thrown at her chest, piercing her skin, by her 8-year-old brother Thursday, police said.
    — Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of piercing
Verb
  • Democrats have hammered on meat as well, but mainly just as one of the staples that cost more under Trump, squeezing voters’ pocketbooks.
    — Nicholas Riccardi, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Democrats have hammered on meat as well, but mainly just as one of the staples that cost more under Trump, squeezing voters' pocketbooks.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of squeezing
Verb
  • So, get ready for mountain vistas and exhausting cycling days to take your breath away and questions about your life choices to swirl around in your head!
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2026
  • On the third bike was Jenny Brookes, Zero's senior global brand manager, who rode a standard DSR/X adventure bike for approximately 239 miles (384 km) before exhausting its battery.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of exhausting

Browse Nearby Words

bore witness
boring
boringly
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Cite this Entry

“Boring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boring. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about boring

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