Humdrum
adj, noun ·Common ·High school level
Definitions
- 1 The quality of lacking variety or excitement. uncountable
"I think it helped distract us from the dry, humdrum, and heat of the here and now."
- 2 the quality of wearisome constancy, routine, and lack of variety wordnet
- 3 A stupid fellow. countable, dated
"So, after settling it that Mr. and Mrs. Wilson were complete country humdrums, the daughters hoydens, the sons awkward half-dandies, and the company altogether any thing but agreeable, she came to a conclusion she had done fifty times before, that the country was not like London."
- 1 Lacking variety or excitement; dull; boring.
"In the valley there would have been feasting and celebration, and then dancing at the wedding, and afterwards the turmoil of a brief romance turning to humdrum married life, the cares of her house, the cares of children, anxiety, fret, illness, trouble, the day-by-day routine of growing old."
- 1 tediously repetitious or lacking in variety wordnet
- 2 not challenging; dull and lacking excitement wordnet
Example
More examples"Many American office workers live an uninteresting, humdrum existence."
Etymology
Possible reduplication of hum, 1550s.