adjective
-
dull and tedious, esp because of repetition
-
unvarying in pitch or cadence
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of monotonous
From the Late Greek word monótonos, dating back to 1770–80. See mono-, tone, -ous
Explanation
When something goes on and on and on and on and on, the same way, for a long time, that's monotonous. Monotonous things are boring and repetitive, like that long story you've heard your brother tell a hundred times before. Ever hear a song that just sounds like the same thing over and over? Ever hear a dog that keeps barking all day? Or a voice that's dull and unchanging in tone? All those things are monotonous: they don't change much, and they're dull as dishwater. Anything tedious or humdrum is probably monotonous. If someone says you're being monotonous, try to vary your tone of voice or the things you're talking about.
Vocabulary lists containing monotonous
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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.
Some words or phrases show up regularly, while monotonous sentence structures are also a warning sign.
From Barron's ● Sep. 25, 2026
Red pepper flakes and black pepper bring heat, while fresh thyme and lemon zest keep all that brown-on-brown flavor from becoming monotonous.
From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026
The concept centers on the idea of accidentally slipping out of normal reality and becoming trapped in this monotonous, labyrinthine environment with no clear exit.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026
Another viral videogame, “The Exit 8,” in which the player is trapped in a monotonous Japanese subway station, was recently adapted into a feature film released by Neon this year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026
The sky became quite gray and, along with it, the whole countryside seemed to lose its color and assume the same monotonous tone.
From "The Phantom Tollbooth" by Norton Juster
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
