repetitive
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of repetitive
First recorded in 1830–40; from Latin repetīt(us) “attacked again” (past participle of repetere “to attack again, demand return of”; see repeat) + -ive
Explanation
Something that is repetitive involves doing the same thing over and over again. If you get bored running on a treadmill daily, you might try something less repetitive, like playing soccer outdoors. Anything you do repeatedly, especially when it's boring, can be described using the adjective repetitive. Jobs like loading and unloading a dishwasher, filing papers, and cleaning a bathroom can all feel repetitive when you have to do them regularly. A story your dad tells every time you have guests for dinner is repetitive, and a droning song that repeats the same chorus again and again is repetitive too.
Vocabulary lists containing repetitive
The Amber Spyglass
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"Journeys," Vocabulary from Lesson 3
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Boring
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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.
The researchers also tracked pacing, a repetitive behavior in carnivores that is often linked to anticipation.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 7, 2026
Krasner’s small, tight accretions of repetitive marks and shapes seem airless and uninflected; even the densest of Pollock’s early, layered pours pulse and breathe, his touch liberated.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026
Targeting the German market, the company aims to "relieve" drivers of repetitive and arduous tasks through its AI solutions.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
His “Resident Evil” films are as gratuitous as they are ridiculous — often repetitive and typically predictable.
From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026
That's why people grow weary of listening to Dumpees obsess over their troubles: getting dumped is predictable, repetitive, and boring.
From "An Abundance of Katherines" by John Green
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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.
