tedium

noun

te·​di·​um ˈtē-dē-əm How to pronounce tedium (audio)
1
: the quality or state of being tedious : tediousness
also : boredom
2
: a tedious period of time

Examples of tedium in a Sentence

The movie was three hours of tedium. I took a day off to relieve the tedium of work.
Recent Examples on the Web For Artaud, true culture operates through exaltation and force, an extremity of experience that breaks through the tedium and wakes us up. Simon Critchley, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024 This kind of formalist approach, cross-breeding narrative cinema and conceptual art, can be hard to maintain without slipping into tedium. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2024 The debate, hosted by CNN with correspondents Jake Tapper and Dana Bash as moderators, will spare viewers the tedium of opening statements. Doyle McManus, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2024 As with Cassavetes, $$$ suffers from some aimless stretches, although unlike the works of that pioneering filmmaker the brief running time prevents too much tedium from settling in. Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019 See all Example Sentences for tedium 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tedium.' 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

Latin taedium disgust, irksomeness, from taedēre to disgust, weary

First Known Use

1662, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tedium was in 1662

Dictionary Entries Near tedium

Cite this Entry

“Tedium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tedium. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

tedium

noun
te·​di·​um ˈtēd-ē-əm How to pronounce tedium (audio)
: the quality or state of being tedious : boredom

More from Merriam-Webster on tedium

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