what does monotonous mean

Monotonous means something is the same all the time and therefore feels boring, dull, or repetitive.

Core meaning

• A monotonous activity, sound, or situation never really changes, so it becomes tiring or uninteresting over time.

• It often suggests repetition without variety, like doing the exact same task every day or listening to a voice that never changes tone.

Everyday examples

• A monotonous job: filing papers in the same way all day, every day.

• A monotonous voice: speaking in one flat tone, with no ups or downs, so it’s hard to stay engaged.

• A monotonous routine: waking up, going to work, coming home, and repeating the same pattern without any change.

Quick nuance

• The word is often used when something is not just repeated, but repeated so much that it becomes mentally or emotionally draining to pay attention to it.

TL;DR: “Monotonous” = always the same + repetitive + boring.