as in boredom
the state of being bored
the tedium of spending a rainy afternoon trapped inside the house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 tedium
Game 3 of the World Series was a stone-cold thriller, with peaks of high drama and longueurs of exquisitely tense tedium.
—
Steve Rushin, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2025
The resort’s Western hospitality is legendary, saving guests the hassle of planning and the tedium of ski lift lines.
—Suzanne Wright, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
But there’s something more to the Kalimotxo, something that seems to be immune to sophomoric tedium or mixological condescension, something that keeps people going back decade after decade.
—Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 11 Oct. 2025
Each of them offers money and position but nothing much in the way of pleasure, excitement, intellectual stimulation, or the prospect of anything other than a life of loveless, socially irreproachable tedium possibly brightened by the occasional extramarital affair.
—Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tedium
Steve Rushin, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2025
The resort’s Western hospitality is legendary, saving guests the hassle of planning and the tedium of ski lift lines.
—Suzanne Wright, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
But there’s something more to the Kalimotxo, something that seems to be immune to sophomoric tedium or mixological condescension, something that keeps people going back decade after decade.
—Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 11 Oct. 2025
Each of them offers money and position but nothing much in the way of pleasure, excitement, intellectual stimulation, or the prospect of anything other than a life of loveless, socially irreproachable tedium possibly brightened by the occasional extramarital affair.
—Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tedium
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tedium
boredom
Noun
-
This pint-sized Funto mini watercolor set can bust boredom without permanently turning your tray table into a piece of modern art.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Southerners experience quick dramatic bursts of overnight freezes, ice storms, and occasional dustings of snow, and nothing soothes cold-weather boredom like a grandma and her activities.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tedium.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tedium. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
