Humdrum
adjective
Not interesting or exciting, boring.
She was tired of her humdrum life and longed for an adventure.
Often appears as...
- humdrum life
- humdrum routine
noun
Lack of variety that makes something boring.
He wanted to escape the humdrum of daily life.
Often appears as...
- escape the humdrum
- humdrum of daily life
adjective
Not interesting or exciting, boring.
She was tired of her humdrum life and longed for an adventure.
Often appears as...
- humdrum life
- humdrum routine
noun
Lack of variety that makes something boring.
He wanted to escape the humdrum of daily life.
Often appears as...
- escape the humdrum
- humdrum of daily life
Definition 1 of 2
Pro Tip 1/3Emotional Nuance
Used when expressing dissatisfaction about the lack of variety in life or activities.
His humdrum job left him longing for a career change.
Pro Tip 2/3Not Always Negative
Sometimes indicates a peaceful, stable situation without suggesting boredom.
After years of travel, she appreciated the humdrum of a settled life.
Pro Tip 3/3Situational Use
Best used in casual or narrative contexts, possibly too informal for academic writing.
He wrote a novel to escape the humdrum of office work.
Pro Tip 1/3Emotional Nuance
Used when expressing dissatisfaction about the lack of variety in life or activities.
His humdrum job left him longing for a career change.
Pro Tip 2/3Not Always Negative
Sometimes indicates a peaceful, stable situation without suggesting boredom.
After years of travel, she appreciated the humdrum of a settled life.
Pro Tip 3/3Situational Use
Best used in casual or narrative contexts, possibly too informal for academic writing.
He wrote a novel to escape the humdrum of office work.
Pro Tip 1/3Emotional Nuance
Used when expressing dissatisfaction about the lack of variety in life or activities.
His humdrum job left him longing for a career change.
Pro Tip 2/3Not Always Negative
Sometimes indicates a peaceful, stable situation without suggesting boredom.
After years of travel, she appreciated the humdrum of a settled life.
Pro Tip 3/3Situational Use
Best used in casual or narrative contexts, possibly too informal for academic writing.
He wrote a novel to escape the humdrum of office work.
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Video examples
How to Discover Your...
is not exactly the humdrum, “I hate my job” stereotype that most people equate with settling. But it was a settle for me, because when I actually did quit my job at the age of 38, it was with the intention that every day be a great adventure.
Video examples
Stunning Sideshow...
sorely needed in our plastic humdrum yuppie eyes dworld in carnival Diablo Vanessa meal keeps alive a long and perilous tradition so many people before me have died on stage start swallowing
Video examples
How to Discover Your...
is not exactly the humdrum, “I hate my job” stereotype that most people equate with settling. But it was a settle for me, because when I actually did quit my job at the age of 38, it was with the intention that every day be a great adventure.
Video examples
Stunning Sideshow...
sorely needed in our plastic humdrum yuppie eyes dworld in carnival Diablo Vanessa meal keeps alive a long and perilous tradition so many people before me have died on stage start swallowing
Example 1 of 2
Quote examples
Chuck Palahniuk
American Novelist
Think about George Orwell's three-minute hate from the novel '1984' and how that left everyone sort of exhausted and able to live their boring humdrum lives. If our lives are going to continue being unfulfilled and boring, perhaps we do need some sort of short-term violent chaos incorporated into them, to make them more palatable.
Quote examples
Vivek Agnihotri
Indian Director
Our films have to entertain without the viewer being guided to a humdrum set of do's and don't's. At the same time, as a filmmaker, my films should evoke some feelings, some thoughts in their minds. That's the purpose of cinema. It has to be a learning experience without advocating rights or wrongs in a subtle manner.
Quote examples
John Prine
American Singer
I was kind of thrown into - I didn't expect to do this for a living, being a recording artist. I was just playing music for the fun of it and writing songs. That was kind of my escape, you know, from the humdrum of the world.
Quote examples
Alison Owen
English Producer
In a recession, people want to be told for two hours that everything is going to be OK. They want to escape from their humdrum or painful reality into a feel-good drama, or a love story that transcends their daily life.
Quote examples
Carl Sagan
American Scientist
Who are we? We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a humdrum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people.
Quote examples
Joseph de Maistre
French Diplomat
In the works of man, everything is as poor as its author; vision is confined, means are limited, scope is restricted, movements are labored, and results are humdrum.
Quote examples
Mark Haddon
English Novelist
Use your imagination, and you'll see that even the most narrow, humdrum lives are infinite in scope if you examine them with enough care.
Quote examples
T. C. Boyle
American Novelist
The compulsively readable events of my life occurred mainly in infancy, and it's been pretty humdrum ever since.
Quote examples
Bernard Cornwell
British Novelist
Of course some days are easier than others, but my worst day is better than being in most humdrum occupations.
Quote examples
Marcus Samuelsson
Ethiopian Chef
Eating vegetarian doesn't mean you have to eat boring, humdrum dishes.
Quote examples
Chuck Palahniuk
American Novelist
Think about George Orwell's three-minute hate from the novel '1984' and how that left everyone sort of exhausted and able to live their boring humdrum lives. If our lives are going to continue being unfulfilled and boring, perhaps we do need some sort of short-term violent chaos incorporated into them, to make them more palatable.
Quote examples
Vivek Agnihotri
Indian Director
Our films have to entertain without the viewer being guided to a humdrum set of do's and don't's. At the same time, as a filmmaker, my films should evoke some feelings, some thoughts in their minds. That's the purpose of cinema. It has to be a learning experience without advocating rights or wrongs in a subtle manner.
Quote examples
John Prine
American Singer
I was kind of thrown into - I didn't expect to do this for a living, being a recording artist. I was just playing music for the fun of it and writing songs. That was kind of my escape, you know, from the humdrum of the world.
Quote examples
Alison Owen
English Producer
In a recession, people want to be told for two hours that everything is going to be OK. They want to escape from their humdrum or painful reality into a feel-good drama, or a love story that transcends their daily life.
Quote examples
Carl Sagan
American Scientist
Who are we? We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a humdrum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people.
Quote examples
Joseph de Maistre
French Diplomat
In the works of man, everything is as poor as its author; vision is confined, means are limited, scope is restricted, movements are labored, and results are humdrum.
Quote examples
Mark Haddon
English Novelist
Use your imagination, and you'll see that even the most narrow, humdrum lives are infinite in scope if you examine them with enough care.
Quote examples
T. C. Boyle
American Novelist
The compulsively readable events of my life occurred mainly in infancy, and it's been pretty humdrum ever since.
Quote examples
Bernard Cornwell
British Novelist
Of course some days are easier than others, but my worst day is better than being in most humdrum occupations.
Quote examples
Marcus Samuelsson
Ethiopian Chef
Eating vegetarian doesn't mean you have to eat boring, humdrum dishes.
Example 1 of 10
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