monotonous

adjective

mo·​not·​o·​nous mə-ˈnä-tə-nəs 

-ˈnät-nəs

1

: uttered or sounded in one unvarying tone : marked by a sameness of pitch and intensity

2

: tediously uniform or unvarying

monotonously adverb

monotonousness noun

Synonyms

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

Examples of monotonous in a Sentence

Altogether, millions of mostly obscure entries in the public record offer details of a forced labor system of monotonous enormity. —Douglas A. Blackmon, Slavery By Another Name, 2008

At times, the grayness of the place was consumed by its own monotonous noise, of bars clanging, of inmates being led through the corridors, of guards yelling out orders … —Benjamin Weiser, New York Times Magazine, 6 Aug. 2000

The monotonous chant of the indoctrinated, ideologically armored from head to foot … —Philip Roth, American Pastoral, 1997

The crickets stridulated their everlasting monotonous meaningful note. —John Updike, The Witches of Eastwick, 1984

the lecturer's monotonous delivery threatened to put us to sleep

Recent Examples on the Web

Used appropriately, these features can make your presentation dynamic and keep it from feeling monotonous and boring. —William Arruda, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024

This oversized pullover has large horizontal stripes that break up the often monotonous style of a traditional knit sweater. —Michelle Rostamian, People.com, 14 Oct. 2024

On the hunt for a recipe to break you out of your monotonous meal routine? —Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 29 Nov. 2024

Others are dry and monotonous, a single color, a single dominant plant species — one flat pan for miles. —Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 25 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

— more at monotone entry 1 + -ous

Note: Oxford English Dictionary, third edition, takes the word as a direct borrowing from Greek monótonos, with the addition of the suffix -ous.

First Known Use

1776, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

monotonous

adjective

mo·​not·​o·​nous mə-ˈnät-ᵊn-əs 

-ˈnät-nəs

1

: uttered or sounded in one unchanging tone

2

: boring from being always the same

a monotonous task

monotonously adverb

monotonousness noun