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

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

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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
Closet basics shouldn’t be boring, and this boat-neck tank proves that a small change in silhouette can instantly elevate the simplest closet staple. — Rachel Trujillo, PEOPLE, 19 July 2026 The slightly boring way would have been to flash forward, and they get married or something. — Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 18 July 2026
Verb
Sure, this manicure is neutral, but don’t mistake it for boring. — Omenaa Boakye, InStyle, 13 July 2026 Trying to achieve broad appeal via franchises alone gets boring quickly. — Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 8 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
  • Of course, the players were tiring, and Argentina were always going to respond, but Tuchel’s substitutions made England passive.
    — The Athletic UK Staff, New York Times, 16 July 2026
  • But just like fashion, the world of Instagrammable food proved tiring too.
    — Violet Conroy, Vogue, 15 July 2026
Definition of tiring
Verb
  • In June 2023, TotalEnergies officially began drilling for oil in the Tilenga project area within the park.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 July 2026
  • Blanco opened that frame with strikeouts of Hicks and Griffin Conine, but Mack followed Marsee by drilling a 3-2 fastball for his eighth homer of the season.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 21 July 2026
Definition of drilling
Verb
  • The sky-high payments could be caused by a lot of different things — buyers wanting big cars, low credit scores pushing monthly payments higher or high credit scores allowing for bigger loans.
    — Cassidy Alexander, AJC.com, 24 July 2026
  • The bear spent several moments sniffing around the office and wandering through the building before returning to the entrance, pushing the door open again and leaving on its own.
    — Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of pushing
Verb
  • 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
  • Even for those spared personal catastrophe, the broader atmosphere has been wearying; institutions strained, norms eroded, tempers short.
    — Phillip Halpern, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Jan. 2026
Definition of wearying
Adjective
  • Parametric modeling, especially when weighted down with decades of AutoCAD’s stupid UI/UX choices, was even harder than programming.
    — Lee Hutchinson, ArsTechnica, 23 July 2026
  • The simplest explanation is that Vance believes his voters are stupid.
    — David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 21 July 2026
Definition of stupid
Verb
  • Collins can’t make the same pivot without piercing the brand that carried him this far.
    — Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 20 July 2026
  • The documentary feature Noga, which premiered at the Tribeca Festival last month and is currently making the film-festival rounds, is as piercing as that shriek.
    — Marisa Fox, Rolling Stone, 16 July 2026
Definition of piercing
Verb
  • McGurk argued that, if the return of the hostages was the only way to end the war, then publicly squeezing Israel to protect civilians could paradoxically prolong the fighting, resulting in more Palestinian deaths.
    — David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
  • De la Fuente’s forwards press aggressively, while centre-backs Pau Cubarsi and Aymeric Laporte hold a high defensive line, squeezing the pitch and pinning their opponents back.
    — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of squeezing
Verb
  • Schmidt's attorney, Kyle Ludwig, on Tuesday claimed that Foster-Todd did not attempt to make distance between himself and the dog and said Foster-Todd shot the dog without exhausting other options.
    — Grant Lancaster, Arkansas Online, 22 July 2026
  • But there were hero moments here too, the same refusal to lose, the same team-work, the same selfless effort in exhausting physical conditions.
    — Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 12 July 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 25 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on boring

Nglish: Translation of boring for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about boring

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