boring

¹ American  

[bawr-ing] / ˈbɔr ɪŋ /

adjective

1. causing or marked by boredom; dull and uninteresting; tiresome: to have a boring time.

   a boring discussion;

   to have a boring time.

   Synonyms:

   tedious , tiresome , dull

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boring ² American  

[bawr-ing, bohr-] / ˈbɔr ɪŋ, ˈboʊr- /

noun

1. Machinery.

   1. the act or process of making or enlarging a hole.

   2. the hole so made.

2. Geology.  a cylindrical sample of earth strata obtained by boring a vertical hole.

3. borings, the chips, fragments, or dust produced in boring.

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boring ¹ British  

/ ˈbɔːrɪŋ /

noun

1. 1. the act or process of making or enlarging a hole

   2. the hole made in this way

2. (often plural) a fragment, particle, chip, etc, produced during boring

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boring ² British  

/ ˈbɔːrɪŋ /

adjective

1. dull; repetitious; uninteresting

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Other Word Forms

• boringly adverb
• boringness noun

Etymology

Origin of boring¹

First recorded in 1835–45; bore ¹ + -ing ²

Origin of boring²

First recorded in 1400–50; bore ² + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Though analogies were drawn to household production, the reality differed: Work was repetitive, boring, without break—the machines never stopped.

From The Wall Street Journal

Telling a friend to lock in on what might well be a boring day often raises a smile.

From BBC

The fire seems to have dampened the event, as many fans deeming the event “boring,” and others with mixed responses on the continuation of the show despite the fire.

From Salon

"I think a lot of people are always like: 'Oh, classical music is so boring'," says 15-year-old Si.

From BBC

“I said no static pictures, too boring,” said Bishop Timothy Freyer, auxiliary bishop of the diocese.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• dull
• humdrum
• lifeless
• monotonous
• mundane
• stale
• stodgy
• stuffy
• stupid
• tame
• tedious
• tiresome
• tiring
• trite
• uninteresting