humdrum

What it means

1. Lacking variety or excitement; dull; boring.

   He suggested cusk, because he knew they would have it. She had never heard of cusk. “Doesn't it sound exotic!” she said. “Exotic indeed!” he laughed, and almost told her what a humdrum fish it really was, but stopped himself.

   1999, Lucy Honig, The Truly Needy And Other Stories, University of Pittsburgh Press, →ISBN, page 89

   2 more examples

   In the valley there would have been feasting and celebration, and then dancing at the wedding, and afterwards the turmoil of a brief romance turning to humdrum married life, the cares of her house, the cares of children, anxiety, fret, illness, trouble, the day-by-day routine of growing old.

   1952, Daphne Du Maurier, “Monte Verità”, in The Apple Tree

   With that kind of line-up it was probably inevitable that there would be a few spells when England looked what they were: a team that was trying to find some rhythm, unbeaten for eight years in humdrum qualifying groups but still not entirely sure about whether that makes them any good.

   2017 November 10, Daniel Taylor, “Youthful England earn draw with Germany but Lingard rues late miss”, in The Guardian (London)

   Synonyms: banal, basic, mindless, beat, blah, commonplace, bland, boring

In a sentence

In the valley there would have been feasting and celebration, and then dancing at the wedding, and afterwards the turmoil of a brief romance turning to humdrum married life, the cares of her house, the cares of children, anxiety, fret, illness, trouble, the day-by-day routine of growing old.

1952, Daphne Du Maurier, “Monte Verità”, in The Apple Tree

Where it comes from

Sound-symbolic, possible reduplication of hum, 1550s.