boring

¹ American  

[bawr-ing] / ˈbɔr ɪŋ /

adjective

1. causing or marked by boredom; dull and uninteresting; tiresome: to have a boring time.

   a boring discussion;

   to have a boring time.

   Synonyms:

   tedious, tiresome, dull

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boring ² American  

[bawr-ing, bohr-] / ˈbɔr ɪŋ, ˈboʊr- /

noun

1. Machinery.

   1. the act or process of making or enlarging a hole.

   2. the hole so made.

2. Geology. a cylindrical sample of earth strata obtained by boring a vertical hole.

3. borings, the chips, fragments, or dust produced in boring.

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boring ¹ British  

/ ˈbɔːrɪŋ /

noun

1. 1. the act or process of making or enlarging a hole

   2. the hole made in this way

2. (often plural) a fragment, particle, chip, etc, produced during boring

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boring ² British  

/ ˈbɔːrɪŋ /

adjective

1. dull; repetitious; uninteresting

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Other Word Forms

• boringly
  adverb
• boringness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of boring¹

First recorded in 1835–45; bore ¹ + -ing ²

Origin of boring²

First recorded in 1400–50; bore ² + -ing ¹

Explanation

As an adjective boring describes something (or someone) that is tedious, dull, and lacking in interest. As a noun, boring refers to the act of drilling a hole, or the hole itself. When a geologist's powerful drill makes a boring into the earth, you can remove a sample and learn about the history of our planet just by seeing what's contained in the boring's layers. Of course, if you aren't interested in that kind of thing, you might find a two-hour lecture on the subject a bit boring.

Example Sentences

“There was none of that back then, but that would be super boring to watch. We got to a halfway point where there was some expressiveness.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026

Joe's prediction: I am going to be boring and agree with Tom.

From BBC • May 14, 2026

That’s because some of this stuff is technical, and a lot of it is boring.

From Slate • May 13, 2026

Many investors consider capital-intensive stocks to be boring and old-fashioned.

From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026

Now I drift over to the counter displaying boring shirtwaists: rows and rows of white blouses with every imaginable variation of button or no button, lace or pleating.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

Related Words

• dull
• humdrum
• lifeless
• monotonous
• mundane
• stale
• stodgy
• stuffy
• stupid
• tame
• tedious
• tiresome
• tiring
• trite
• uninteresting