Definitions

monotonous

[muh-not-n-uhs] / məˈnɒt n əs /

ADJECTIVE

all the same, remaining the same

Synonyms

STRONGEST

boring dreary dull ho-hum humdrum plodding repetitious repetitive tedious tiresome

WEAK

banausic blah colorless droning dull as dishwater flat flat as pancake monotone nothing pedestrian prosaic puts one to sleep recurrent reiterated samely sing-song soporific toneless treadmill unchanged unchanging uniform uninflected uninteresting unrelieved unvaried unvarying wearisome wearying

Antonyms

STRONGEST

bright clear eventful exciting interesting light lively

WEAK

changing ever-changing variable versatile

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.

They’re spread throughout practice to break the monotonous nature of it.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

While the bot proved capable at monotonous tasks like sorting objects, the former engineers said they thought most factory jobs are better off being done by robots with shapes designed for the specific task.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 3, 2026

Set in a dour factory, “Metropolis” is “the grandfather of all ‘beat the worker down with monotonous, repetitive labor, totally unrecognized by management’ movies,” says Mankiewicz of TCM.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 29, 2025

It can get a little bit monotonous and a little bit tedious.

From BBC • Sep. 9, 2025

There they were, all the way along the drive, on either side of us, blue, monotonous, like spectators lined up in a street to watch us pass.

From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier

Vocabulary lists containing monotonous

100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

Of Mice and Men

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

List 3

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!