humdrum

adjective

hum·​drum ˈhəm-ˌdrəm How to pronounce humdrum (audio)
humdrum noun

Examples of humdrum in a Sentence

She liked the movie, but I thought it was humdrum. another humdrum day at the office
Recent Examples on the Web These kids may not always be comfortable in the humdrum, ordinary world, but the film is full of hope. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024 In the horror-comedy movie Sean of the Dead, the titular hero’s humdrum life is rudely interrupted by a Zombie Apocalypse. Greg Orme, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024 The best period dramas whisk viewers away to times and places that feel a world apart from the humdrum blandness of modern life: Corsets! Radhika Seth, Vogue, 22 Feb. 2024 For Marino, Prince’s iconic show was one the greatest moments in the history of halftime shows — which was once viewed as a humdrum intermission featuring college marching bands. Jonathan Landrum Jr., USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2024 Related Stories Nobody transformed Odenkirk into an unlikely action star, playing Hutch Mansell, a humdrum family man with a secret past as a professional assassin. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Feb. 2024 The reduced pace of the frontrunner brought the nationwide weekend box office total to a more humdrum $8.18 million, after three weekends above $10 million. Patrick Frater, Variety, 17 Dec. 2023 The best way to manage the dangers of A.I., Scott believed, was to be as transparent as possible with as many people as possible, and to let the technology gradually permeate our lives—starting with humdrum uses. Charles Duhigg, The New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2023 As a result, the humdrum everyday is infused with invisible menace. Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 29 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'humdrum.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

reduplication of hum

First Known Use

1553, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of humdrum was in 1553

Dictionary Entries Near humdrum

Cite this Entry

“Humdrum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/humdrum. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

humdrum

adjective
hum·​drum ˈhəm-ˌdrəm How to pronounce humdrum (audio)

More from Merriam-Webster on humdrum

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