monotony

noun

mo·​not·​o·​ny mə-ˈnä-tə-nē 

-ˈnät-nē

1

: tedious sameness

the monotony of the landscape

the monotony of prison life

fixing a variety of foods to avoid monotony

—SHAPE

2

: sameness of tone or sound

the soft monotony of her voice

Synonyms

• humdrum
• monotone
• monotonousness
• sameness

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

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

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

Rhymes for monotony

• botany
• cottony
• ethnobotany
• paleobotany

Kids Definition

monotony

noun

mo·​not·​o·​ny mə-ˈnät-ᵊn-ē 

-ˈnät-nē

plural monotonies

1

: sameness of tone or sound

2

: lack of variety

especially : a lack of change that causes boredom