monotony

noun

mo·​not·​o·​ny mə-ˈnä-tə-nē How to pronounce monotony (audio)
-ˈnät-nē
1
: tedious sameness
the monotony of the landscape
the monotony of prison life
fixing a variety of foods to avoid monotonySHAPE
2
: sameness of tone or sound
the soft monotony of her voice

Examples of monotony in a Sentence

She hated the monotony of the job. The brief storm was a relief from the monotony of the hot summer afternoon.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
But as many have grown tired of the monotony of neutral grays, shades of green—sage, olive and deep forest—have steadily taken over. Alice Gibbs, Newsweek, 28 Feb. 2025 In fact, fabric panels and curtain treatments became central to his design to break up the monotony of the cabin’s walls. Wendy Goodman, Curbed, 25 Feb. 2025 During the monotony of spring training, live batting practice sessions usually are structured like boxing matches. Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2025 The weight of deadlines, disappointments, or just the monotony of life presses heavily on your shoulders. Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for monotony

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Late Latin monotonia "sameness of tone," borrowed from Greek monotonía (attested only in the work of quintillian), from monótonos "lacking variation in pitch, monotone entry 2" + -ia -y entry 2

First Known Use

1636, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of monotony was in 1636

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Monotony.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monotony. Accessed 8 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

monotony

noun
mo·​not·​o·​ny mə-ˈnät-ᵊn-ē How to pronounce monotony (audio)
-ˈnät-nē
plural monotonies
1
: sameness of tone or sound
2
: lack of variety
especially : a lack of change that causes boredom

More from Merriam-Webster on monotony

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