tedious

tedious — adjective

1. so slow, long, or repetitive that you feel bored and impatient or even mentally

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

so slow, long, or repetitive that you feel bored and impatient or even mentally tired — for example, a speech that goes on for hours without saying anything new, or a task that involves repeating the same small action hundreds of times.

Example

Ravindra nearly fell asleep during the tedious data entry session.

tedious + noun phrase describing a task

The contractor's report was so tedious that Camille skipped to the last page.

so tedious that + result clause

Common collocations
  • tedious task
  • tedious work
  • tedious process
  • tedious journey
  • tedious meeting
  • tedious paperwork
  • tedious repetition
Synonyms
  • boring

    more general and less strong; does not imply length or repetition

  • monotonous

    emphasises lack of change or variety in sound, action, or scenery

  • tiresome

    focuses on causing annoyance or fatigue rather than boredom

  • dull

    less intense; can describe a person or event that lacks excitement

Antonyms
  • exciting

    full of interest and energy, the opposite of mentally draining

  • stimulating

    actively engaging the mind or senses

Grammar Patterns

tedious + noun

be + tedious

find + noun + tedious

so tedious that

Usage Note

Commonly describes tasks, speeches, journeys, or processes that are perceived as too long or repetitive, rather than things that are simply uninteresting for a brief moment.

Common Mistakes

The three-minute video was tedious.
The three-minute video was boring.
'tedious' fits longer, slower activities; short things are better described as 'boring' or 'dull.'

Word family

  • tediously
    adverbB2
  • tediousness
    nounC1
  • tedium
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe things that fail to hold your interest, but 'tedious' uniquely adds the idea of excessive length or repetition that drains your patience. 'Boring' is the most general and neutral term — a five-minute cartoon can be boring, but it cannot be tedious. 'Monotonous' focuses on sameness of tone, movement, or scenery (e.g. a monotonous highway drive). 'Tiresome' highlights the annoyance or fatigue something causes rather than its lack of interest (e.g. a tiresome complaint). 'Dull' is softer and can describe a person's personality or a lack of brightness. A task can be tedious because it is long and repetitive; it is boring because it offers nothing new; and it is tiring because it wears you down. Choose 'tedious' when you want to emphasise that the problem is partly the time it takes.

boring ↗monotonoustiresome ↗dull ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

Phrases

  • so tedious that

Etymology

LatinAnglo-NormanMiddle FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Comes from Latin 'taedium' meaning 'weariness, disgust, boredom', which passed through Anglo-Norman and Middle French 'tedieus' before arriving in Middle English as 'tedious'. The connection to time and length developed as the word came to describe experiences that go on so long they produce a feeling of weariness.