humdrum 1 of 2

adjective

ˈhəm-ˌdrəm How to pronounce humdrum (audio)
Definition of humdrumnext
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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

humdrum

2 of 2

noun

as in monotony
a tedious lack of variety loathed the humdrum of daily life in a small town

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 humdrum
Adjective
Making federal rules can take months of debate in humdrum bureaucratic processes. — ABC News, 4 June 2026 And the same is true in more humdrum contexts. — Cody Turner, The Conversation, 1 May 2026
Noun
Some genuinely funny moments emerge from the collision of Hollywood humdrum and superhero absurdity, as if The Studio had been folded lightly into the MCU, a sensibility that reflects Guest’s comedy pedigree on Community and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 27 Jan. 2026 There may be an alchemy of inspiration, but writing itself is done in the humdrum of deleting a sentence or rearranging a line, of careful research and editing. — Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for humdrum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for humdrum
  1. boring
  2. monotony
  3. tiring
  4. boredom
  5. dull
  6. monotone
  7. slow
  8. weary
Adjective
  • Indeed, Hank hurts lots of people in this action-comedy that doesn’t prove boring for a second but has trouble managing its disparate tones.
    — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Ma brings a happy zeal — and an artist’s eye for detail — to creating a sense of wonder, fantasy and futuristic freedom in a world limited by boring, rational constraints.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of boring
Noun
  • Lane was always the guy who interrupted the monotony of a long practice or meeting with a comment or joke.
    — Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • But for workers, the extreme monotony turned the factory floor into a human disaster.
    — Jason Dressel, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of monotony
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
Noun
  • Take us to that moment, this middle-age malaise, this boredom.
    — Longreads, Longreads, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Her boredom was sharpened by the discovery that most of her initial assumptions were wrong.
    — Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of boredom
Adjective
  • Designed for limp, oily, and dull hair, the color-safe formula washes away stubborn dirt and grime—common culprits of flat waves—while a lineup of amino acids work to soften and strengthen strands.
    — Madison San Miguel, Allure, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Using the pretense of a documentary film crew, the show follows the excruciatingly dull workday experiences of a paper supply company in a drab office in a bleak industrial estate in Slough, England.
    — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of dull
Noun
  • Bret is played by Igby Rigney, whose distant, sneery monotone recalls the voice of the real-life Ellis.
    — Leo Lasdun, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Monochrome styling is having its moment, but sticking to one color scheme doesn’t have to read monotone.
    — Staff Author, InStyle, 19 June 2026
Definition of monotone
Adjective
  • In fact, starting too early often has more downsides than taking it slow.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2026
  • But so far, the economy has grown at roughly 2% annually, slower than the gains during the Biden administration.
    — Josh Boak, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of slow
Adjective
  • Fall is the perfect time to revive summer-weary lawns by aerating and overseeding.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Mozeliak has no idea whether Kroenke might invite him to stay, but for now the plan of rebuilding the team and reorganizing the front office remains on course, in the interest of serving fans weary and frustrated after 12 consecutive losing seasons.
    — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of weary

Browse Nearby Words

humdingers
humdrum
humid
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Humdrum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humdrum. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gist

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All