tedious
Americanadjective
-
marked by monotony or tedium; long and tiresome.
tedious tasks; a tedious journey.
- Synonyms:
- dull, monotonous, boring, wearing
-
wordy so as to cause weariness or boredom, as a speaker, a writer, or the work they produce; prolix.
adjective
-
causing fatigue or tedium; monotonous
-
obsolete progressing very slowly
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of tedious
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Medieval Latin tēdiōsus, Late Latin taediōsus, from taedi(um) tedium + -ōsus -ous
Explanation
If something is tedious, it's boring. If you're anxious to get outside and enjoy the sun, even the best lecture will seem tedious. Tedious is the adjective from tedium, which is both Latin and English for boredom. You ordinarily wouldn't use tedious for people, just things; you might say "His speeches are tedious," but usually not "He is tedious." Something that is tedious could also be called tiresome. Shakespeare's Friar Laurence says "I will be brief, for my short date of breath / Is not so long as is a tedious tale."
Vocabulary lists containing tedious
List 2
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Unit 3: Compelling Evidence
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Tedious scenes of fighting in the first half of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, designed to prefigure that ending, come at the expense of fleshing out the character of Sharon Tate.
From The Guardian • Aug. 23, 2019
Tedious, but you won’t find this level of detail anywhere else.
From New York Times • Dec. 17, 2018
Tedious work that had kept human beings awake far into the night, working by candlelight, could now be mechanized.
From Slate • Nov. 14, 2016
Tedious airport processes like check-in will increasingly be automated.
From BBC • Feb. 1, 2015
Tedious days at a job that I never found satisfaction in.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
