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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
In Omelet from the Other Side, ten-year-old Florence Fortescue’s life is disastrously upended when her parents move the family from an exciting city apartment to a boring farmhouse in the country. — Caroline Carlson, Literary Hub, 1 Sep. 2026 We’re taught that Alfred Hitchcock storyboarded every frame and cut, having made the film entirely in his head, which made production a boring affair for the master of suspense. — Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 31 Aug. 2026
Verb
Chloe Malle, Vogue’s head of editorial content, favors a colorful mini dress from Matteau, layered over a black bathing suit and finished with T-strap sandals and a raffia hat—proof that simple does not mean boring. — Minty Mellon, Vogue, 5 Aug. 2026 The sandwiches don’t need to be boring in order to be quick and simple — consider gyros. — Kate Williams, AJC.com, 27 July 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
  • Food & Drink You’ll find just two dining venues on the property, The Dining Room (which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner) and the poolside Palapa Bar, but there’s no chance of tiring of the fare.
    — Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Permanent Marker Removal Trying to scrub permanent marker away is tiring, time-consuming, and often futile without some type of product to loosen the marker.
    — Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of tiring
Verb
  • This isn’t Chicago’s first time drilling eight or more home runs in a single game.
    — Johnny Flores Jr, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Options considered during the analysis included drilling holes in the existing piles and adding more steel inside, or widening the pile caps so more piles could be added on the outside.
    — David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of drilling
Verb
  • Subramanyam said his calls were monitored between March and May, noting that at the time the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee was pushing for former Attorney General Pam Bondi to testify.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Yet, this will take a great deal of finesse, including pushing through a bill in parliament by buttering up Lord Hawthorne (Hugh Bonneville), who is willing to trade his vote for a night out with Susie’s brother, Jack (Harry Goodwins).
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of pushing
Verb
  • 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
  • Bram, his husband, has a demanding job at a museum in Rotterdam and Arnold’s bitterness has grown wearying.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
Definition of wearying
Adjective
  • Video games are one of the world’s most dominant storytelling mediums, yet the writing is often dismissed — not always unfairly — as melodramatic, overly serious and occasionally very stupid.
    — Gene Park, Washington Post, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Bonnell The enthusiast’s approach Bonnell’s team uses matters because electric motorcycles have an annoying tendency to make power delivery either spectacularly good or spectacularly stupid.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of stupid
Verb
  • Agents then raided the Wynwood apartment and found 540 kilos (almost 1,200 pounds) of cocaine, $3 million in cash, 14 firearms and more than 100 rounds of armor-piercing bullets, prosecutors say.
    — David Goodhue August 26, Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Claire’s is trying to recapture its glory as the go-to destination for both tween girls and for piercing.
    — Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of piercing
Verb
  • In the distance, a toddler in a matching Nike outfit literally leaped into the arms of a crying woman, perhaps a grandmother, squeezing tightly for a hug.
    — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The floods will likely change that outlook, squeezing a country that’s heavily dependent on tourism while forcing a costly period of reconstruction.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of squeezing
Verb
  • The dispute has become even more complicated because some members of the 2022 class pursued professional opportunities after exhausting their eligibility under the previous system.
    — Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Pick up a gentler, over-the-counter retinoid that won’t irritate your more sensitive skin, and will stimulate collagen production without exhausting your cells.
    — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 1 Sep. 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 6 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on boring

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about boring

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