repetitive
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived 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 film is well-paced, if occasionally repetitive, and approaches the hackneyed wish-gone-wrong formula with some unique panache.
From Salon • Jun. 4, 2026
The paramutation was found in a region associated with a repetitive genetic element known to be influenced by environmental exposure.
From Science Daily • Jun. 1, 2026
Nikolaides says that the robots have the potential to help with work that is repetitive or physically challenging for people to carry out and can also address a labour shortage.
From BBC • May 28, 2026
He agrees that tech should help to “relieve humans of arduous, repetitive or dangerous tasks” and “provide intelligent support,” but also warns of growing A.I.-induced inequality, which exacerbates poverty and forced migration.
From Slate • May 28, 2026
When the high-speed chases and mandatory shoot-outs become too repetitive, I head over to the revival houses and watch gentler movies in which the couples sleep in separate beds and everyone wears a hat.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
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.
