tedious
Boring because it goes on too long and never changes.
tedious in a sentence
- Copying out the whole dictionary page felt like the most tedious job in the world.
- Long motorway journeys feel tedious to Ella, hour after hour of the same grey road.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to tedious?
- Alively
- Bboring
- Cexciting
- Dfun
Show the answer
B: boring. The other three mean the opposite of tedious.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to tedious?
- Adull
- Bdreary
- Cexciting
- Dboring
Show the answer
C: exciting. The other three mean nearly the same as tedious.
Words that mean something similar
boring, dull, dreary
Words that mean the opposite
exciting, fun, lively
Careful: tedious is not monotonous
Monotonous is about sameness. Tedious is sameness that goes on too long. Read why children mix them up.
More words about time & change
- thrive: To grow strong, healthy and successful.
- transform: To change something completely.
- ultimate: Final, or the greatest of all.
- upheaval: A sudden big change that causes trouble and confusion.
- urgent: So important that it must be dealt with straight away.
- wane: To become gradually smaller or weaker.
- abolish: To officially get rid of something completely, such as a rule or law.
- abrupt: Sudden and quick, often in a way that feels rude or unexpected.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test