tedium

[ tee-dee-uhm ]

noun

1. the quality or state of being wearisome; irksomeness; tediousness.

   Synonyms: dullness, sameness, monotony

tedium

/ ˈtiːdɪəm /

noun

1. the state of being bored or the quality of being boring; monotony

Word History and Origins

Origin of tedium¹

First recorded in 1655–65, tedium is from the Latin word taedium

Word History and Origins

Origin of tedium¹

C17: from Latin taedium, from taedēre to weary

Example Sentences

Then there’s the part about his life-threatening activism, a tale that starts and ends this book …And so, beware at the unevenness of this memoir, but understand that the tedium doesn’t linger.

From Washington Blade

It keeps getting uttered out loud by players and coaches even in a sport languishing in the boredom of boardrooms and the tedium of mergers and acquisitions.

From Washington Post

If we want to make progress, that requires the kind of persistence and tedium that is not glamorous.

From Vox

If you’re like most Americans, the past year has been a time of fear, anxiety and often profound tedium—but also of worsening dietary habits.

From Time

Getting shots to more people would bring a quicker end to the tedium.

From Ars Technica

The work is ceaseless and routine to the point of tedium—and almost half of primary-care physicians are burnt out.

From The Daily Beast

What is it about bleakness and tedium that are so attractive, other than the fact that most people instinctively recoil from it?

From The Daily Beast

A third night in hospital for Kate tonight, but the tedium was relieved by a visit from brother James and sister Pippa.

From The Daily Beast

He advised diners to flee “right back out the door … you will be spared an infinitely larger measure of tedium.”

From The Daily Beast

Since I loathe the tedium of gym workouts, I take breaks for tennis with my eclectic group of tennis pals.

From The Daily Beast

Tom and Blanche had fallen into teasing tricks, a sort of melancholy play to relieve the tedium.

From Project Gutenberg

Everything that wealth and loving care could secure was provided by Bruce to lessen the tedium of the journey.

From Project Gutenberg

Idleness is the friend of love; and passengers have little or nothing to do to while away the tedium of a voyage.

From Project Gutenberg

He then begged the patriarch to give him some books to copy, to rid himself of the tedium of his idleness.

From Project Gutenberg

I certainly do not believe that the Martians are subjected to the tedium of walking.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• banality
• boredom
• ennui