1 tedium | Definition of tedium

tedium

noun
te·​di·​um | \ ˈtÄ“-dÄ“-É™m How to pronounce tedium (audio) \

Definition of tedium

1 : the quality or state of being tedious : tediousness also : boredom
2 : a tedious period of time

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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

Despite these occasional moments of tedium, however, the film is at once chilling and likely to make your blood boil. Michael Sullivan, Houston Chronicle, "Documentary ‘Aquarela’ is a beautifully terrifying immersion," 29 Aug. 2019 Still, the inevitable August tedium included Friday night’s shindig at MetLife Stadium. Dan Wiederer, chicagotribune.com, "The Bears — with every starter sitting out and Kyle Long left behind — fall short in a preseason loss to the Giants," 17 Aug. 2019 Forms of boredom That said, not all types of tedium are created equal. Ephrat Livni, Quartz, "To be your most interesting self, get good at being bored," 10 Aug. 2019 So on behalf of all math teachers, please excuse us for drilling your younger selves on this tedium. Steven Strogatz, New York Times, "The Math Equation That Tried to Stump the Internet," 2 Aug. 2019 Sounds very chaotic, leading nowhere good in the long run except perhaps to repetition and tedium. Matthew Gilbert, BostonGlobe.com, "Week in watching: ‘Good Place’ ending in a good place, crime with a Boston accent, the games people play," 9 June 2019 The Blurry Years unfolds almost as a collection of impressionistic scenes that capture nascent romance or summer tedium or ongoing crisis. The Atlantic, "What We’re Reading This Summer," 28 June 2019 But some said the automated tedium is getting to them. Drew Harwell, Washington Post, "As Walmart turns to robots, it’s the human workers who feel like machines," 7 June 2019 Charlotte Wilder takes a look at the anticipation and tedium of waiting in the stands on draft night. Charlotte Wilder, SI.com, "The Unbearable Tedium of Waiting to Hear Your Name Called at the NBA Draft," 22 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tedium.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of tedium

1662, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for tedium

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

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More Definitions for tedium

tedium

noun

English Language Learners Definition of tedium

somewhat formal : the quality or state of being tedious or boring

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More from Merriam-Webster on tedium

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with tedium

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for tedium

Spanish Central: Translation of tedium

Nglish: Translation of tedium for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of tedium for Arabic Speakers