BORING Synonyms: 216 Similar and Opposite Words

boring 1 of 3

adjective

ˈbȯr-iŋ

Definition of boring

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

boring

2 of 3

verb (1)

present participle of bore

as in drilling

to make a hole or series of holes in some woodpecker bored holes in our tree in the backyard

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in pushing

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

The actual reason the Dodgers lost, that the postseason in baseball is little more than a coin flip and small sample sizes flatten out any talent advantage, is boring and uninteresting. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026 Let’s start with tracking Savu, where, because of the tiny tribes, the most obvious and boring thing ends up happening. — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026

Verb

Best Neutral This solid-colored wool rug was the perfect neutral-but-not-boring option for the space between visuals editor Lizzie Soufleris’ living room and dining area. — Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 26 Sep. 2026 Massive drill bits the width of a small trampoline are boring into the ground. — Robert Tann, Denver Post, 24 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for boring

Recent Examples of Synonyms for boring

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

Doncic came right back, drilling a three-pointer over Gary Payton II on the next possession and put his fingers on his lips and glared at the crowd.

— Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2026
Educators across the country are developing civics curricula that engage students in the practice of democracy, rather than drilling them in recitations of rights and procedures.

— Trygve Throntveit, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of drilling

Verb

These higher-than-usual high tides are supercharged by winds blowing onshore, pushing more seawater on land.

— Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2026
For Jeffries to get a chance to take the speaker’s gavel, Democrats must attain a net gain of three seats, pushing their numbers to at least 218 -- a simple majority.

— ABC News, ABC News, 27 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

Verb

Bauer, who was working in uniform, was shot twice — with one of the bullets piercing his heart — during a robbery at Kislak National Bank, 13490 NW Seventh Ave.

— Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2026
Elizabeth D’Aiuto, who plays Marian, the librarian of this small Iowa town who captures the roving eye of traveling salesman and con man Harold Hill (Elliott Andrews), has a piercing soprano that many an opera singer would envy.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of piercing

Verb

The remarks followed the release of strong quarterly results, with revenue and earnings beating analysts’ expectations despite a 6% downturn in revenue due to pressure squeezing all broadband purveyors.

— Dade Hayes, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2026
Fuel expenses are squeezing daily household budgets and tightening cash flow toward the end of the month, with reports indicating a growing number of French employees are requesting payroll advances to manage month end expenses.

— , CNBC, 19 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

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Boring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boring. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of boring

adjective

verb (1)

verb (2)

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on boring

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

wraith

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes