humdrum

adjective

hum·​drum ˈhəm-ˌdrəm 

: monotonous, dull

humdrum noun

Synonyms

• arid
• boring
• colorless
• drab
• dreary
• drudging
• dry
• dull
• dusty
• flat
• heavy
• ho-hum
• jading
• jejune
• leaden
• mind-numbing
• monochromatic
• monotonous
• numbing
• old
• pedestrian
• ponderous
• slow
• stale
• stodgy
• stuffy
• stupid
• tame
• tedious
• tiresome
• tiring
• uninteresting
• wearisome
• weary
• wearying

Examples of humdrum in a Sentence

She liked the movie, but I thought it was humdrum.

another humdrum day at the office

Recent Examples on the Web

This holiday season, Toni and Bri decide to shake up their humdrum world by creating new identities to crash the amazing Christmas parties from the shop's confidential invitations. —EW.com, 18 Oct. 2024

But a decision in the seemingly humdrum realm of administrative law could end up having far broader consequences, affecting vast areas of American life by slashing the power of federal regulatory agencies that police pollution, food safety, health care and countless other aspects of modern society. —Eli Sanders, ProPublica, 23 Sep. 2024

And in this oversold earthly Eden, the fruit of pleasure and delight was the orange, not the humdrum apple. —Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2024

But the movie continues a humdrum year for horror, which is usually one of the most reliable big screen genres. —Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 15 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

reduplication of hum

First Known Use

1553, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

humdrum

adjective

hum·​drum ˈhəm-ˌdrəm 

: monotonous sense 2, dull