humdrum C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities US /ˈhʌmˌdrʌm/ UK /ˈhʌmˌdrʌm/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 adj dull, monotonous, and lacking variety He longed to escape the humdrum routine of office life. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 adj · dull, monotonous, and... monotonousdulltediousboringmundanetiresomedrearyroutine ↔ Opposites excitingstimulatinglivelyvaried Etymology AI details A 16th-century reduplication probably based on hum, the rhyming second element drum carrying no independent meaning, conveying dull monotony. hum onomatopoeic View etymology graph -> Topics Describing Qualities External links Google Images Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary # humdrum **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** adj **IPA (US):** /ˈhʌmˌdrʌm/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈhʌmˌdrʌm/ ## Meanings 1. dull, monotonous, and lacking variety ## Examples - He longed to escape the humdrum routine of office life. ## Synonyms - monotonous - dull - tedious - boring - mundane - tiresome - dreary - routine ## Antonyms - exciting - stimulating - lively - varied ## Roots and Affixes - Root: hum ## Etymology A 16th-century reduplication probably based on hum, the rhyming second element drum carrying no independent meaning, conveying dull monotony. ## AI Etymology Humdrum is a 16th-century reduplication probably based on hum, the rhyming second element drum carrying no independent meaning, conveying dull monotony. The etymological trail includes onomatopoeic hum. As an adjective, humdrum means dull, monotonous, and lacking variety. The uncertainty belongs to the older derivation, so the explanation should preserve alternatives rather than choosing one unsupported origin. ## Topics - Describing Qualities markdown