as in boring
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest
she leads a humdrum life that will never be made into a major motion picture a humdrum meal
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in monotony
a tedious lack of variety
loathed the humdrum of daily life in a small town
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of humdrum
Belinda Luscombe, Time, 6 Dec. 2025
Poised at the end of a humdrum interglacial, in an otherwise chilly corner of Earth history, industrial civilization is emitting carbon dioxide at a clip 10 times faster than the apocalyptic volcanoes of the end-Permian mass extinction.
—Peter Brannen, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
Rachel Kurzius, Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2026
Certainly the humdrum of legislation or bureaucratic rule-marking is nothing like the gossipy speculation about who may or may not bid to lead California as its 41st governor.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for humdrum
Adjective
Not all of them were hits, but nearly all of them were worth stopping and really looking at, a burst of visual peculiarity in an often humdrum urban streetscape.
—Belinda Luscombe, Time, 6 Dec. 2025
Poised at the end of a humdrum interglacial, in an otherwise chilly corner of Earth history, industrial civilization is emitting carbon dioxide at a clip 10 times faster than the apocalyptic volcanoes of the end-Permian mass extinction.
—Peter Brannen, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
Noun
No, no, nothing as humdrum as all that.
—Rachel Kurzius, Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2026
Certainly the humdrum of legislation or bureaucratic rule-marking is nothing like the gossipy speculation about who may or may not bid to lead California as its 41st governor.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for humdrum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for humdrum
Adjective
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Endless gastronomic delights, diverse architecture, and neighborhoods packed with character ensure visitors have everything but a boring trip to the large coastal metropolis.—
Lydia Price,
Travel + Leisure,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Who says neutrals have to be boring?—
Amanda Le,
InStyle,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
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During the pandemic, people often struggled with the monotony of spending too much time cooped up with other humans – children, romantic partners, roommates.—
Margret Grebowicz,
Fortune,
13 Feb. 2026
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According to Wröbel, this shift is a direct response to the growing monotony of online shopping.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
It's been a cold, tiring week, but the light at the end of the tunnel that is a Saturday at Ikea picking out lamp shades is finally within sight.—
Joe Mutascio,
IndyStar,
6 Feb. 2026
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But studies have also shown that consuming caffeine before a mentally tiring task reduces the feeling of cognitive fatigue.—
Katharine Gammon,
Time,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Pets staying at home alone while owners work suffer from boredom, which can cause chronic psychological distress and health problems.—
Margret Grebowicz,
Fortune,
13 Feb. 2026
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But the flip side of such routine is the potential for boredom and lethargy.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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So is, arguably in softer garb, the trend of trigger warnings, which—mirroring the grim cancer label on a pack of cigarettes—dull the impact of a product or dissuade users entirely by advising them that its consumption may be hazardous to their health.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Feb. 2026
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These may just be the ordinary, dull rhythms of a relatively stable relationship, and yet these actors make the mundane so much more.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In interviews, his sound bites fall somewhere between measured and monotone.—
Tom Kludt,
Vanity Fair,
17 Feb. 2026
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Her clothes became more monotone in color, with fewer patterns but remained rich texturally.—
Julia Rabinowitsch,
Vogue,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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But that boost also didn’t last long – 2025 was marked mostly by Russia’s slow, grinding offensive along the 1,200-kilometer-long frontline.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
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Implementing peace deals is notoriously difficult, so slow progress can be expected.—
Elizabeth Shackelford,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The hospice is small and modest, run by a group of French nuns, built in 1827 as a respite for weary pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Feb. 2026
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Kraft Heinz, like all big food companies, is also grappling with inflation-weary buyers cutting back spending or switching to generic labels as well as the rise of GLP-1 drugs hurting demand for snack food.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Humdrum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humdrum. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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