Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

repetitious

American  
[rep-i-tish-uhs] / ˌrɛp ɪˈtɪʃ əs /

adjective

  1. full of repetition, especially unnecessary and tedious repetition.

    a repetitious account of their vacation trip.


repetitious British  
/ ˌrɛpɪˈtɪʃəs /

adjective

  1. characterized by unnecessary repetition

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of repetitious

1665–75; < Latin repetīt ( us ) (past participle of repetere to repeat ) + -ious

Explanation

Something repetitious gets said or done over and over again in a similar way. If you play your favorite song on repeat during your party, your guests are likely to demand to hear something less repetitious. The adjective repetitious is another way to say repetitive, and both words (along with repeat) share the Latin root repetere, "do or say again." A repetitious poem repeats the same words so many times that it becomes a little dull, and a repetitious argument is more likely to irritate your parents than convince them.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

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.

Most driving data is repetitious and useless, and exception data without lidar isn’t useful either.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 20, 2026

"What babies need and what they learn from the best are simple, slow, repetitious, face-to-face interactions."

From BBC • Dec. 31, 2025

He proves his stature as a first-rate actor by rendering these repetitious eruptions of bitterness insignificant.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 14, 2025

Pedro’s notations, though repetitious and even tedious, opened my eyes to his meticulous nature, the way he viewed each dollar as one that couldn’t fall through the cracks.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2024

Claire had been given increasingly more demanding tasks in the lab, but they were still tedious and repetitious.

From "Son" by Lois Lowry

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "repetitious" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com