monotony

noun

mo·​not·​o·​ny mə-ˈnä-tə-nē 

-ˈnät-nē

1

: tedious sameness

the monotony of the landscape

the monotony of prison life

fixing a variety of foods to avoid monotony

—SHAPE

2

: sameness of tone or sound

the soft monotony of her voice

Synonyms

• humdrum
• monotone
• monotonousness
• sameness

Examples of monotony in a Sentence

She hated the monotony of the job.

The brief storm was a relief from the monotony of the hot summer afternoon.

Recent Examples on the Web

Indeed, the Cubs hoped this would break up the monotony of spring training and give them a better sense of purpose. —Patrick Mooney, The Athletic, 11 Mar. 2025

Soften with sweet florals Dainty floral mosaic breaks up the monotony of subway tile, as seen in this JAM design. —Kathryn O'Shea-Evans, Architectural Digest, 11 Mar. 2025

Although Ariel is followed around at all times and experiences several creepy encounters with Alfred, any traces of creeping dread are snuffed out by the monotony of the film’s drab visuals. —Chase Hutchinson, IndieWire, 28 Jan. 2025

But as many have grown tired of the monotony of neutral grays, shades of green—sage, olive and deep forest—have steadily taken over. —Alice Gibbs, Newsweek, 28 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Late Latin monotonia "sameness of tone," borrowed from Greek monotonía (attested only in the work of quintillian), from monótonos "lacking variation in pitch, monotone entry 2" + -ia -y entry 2

First Known Use

1636, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for monotony

• botany
• cottony
• ethnobotany
• paleobotany

Kids Definition

monotony

noun

mo·​not·​o·​ny mə-ˈnät-ᵊn-ē 

-ˈnät-nē

plural monotonies

1

: sameness of tone or sound

2

: lack of variety

especially : a lack of change that causes boredom