Standard Lemma guide

tedious

adj · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈtiː.dɪəs/
  • Canada, General-American: /ˈti.di.əs/
  • Canada, General-American: [ˈti.ɾi.əs]
  • Canada, General-American: /ˈti.d͡ʒəs/
  • California, Southern: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian, New-Zealand: /ˈtiː.di.əs/
  • Australian, New-Zealand: [ˈtiː.ɾi.əs]
  • Queensland Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -iːdiəs
  • CMU ARPABET: T IY1 D IY0 AH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Boring, monotonous, time-consuming, wearisome, livelong.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: boring, monotonous, dreary, tiresome, mind-numbing, drippy, drudgerous, irksome, longsome, tedious, torporific, wearing, wearisome

Antonyms: engaging, interesting, exciting, stimulating

2

adjective satellite

Meaning 2

using or containing too many words

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • long-winded (or windy) speakers
  • verbose and ineffective instructional methods
  • newspapers of the day printed long wordy editorials
  • proceedings were delayed by wordy disputes

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: long-winded, verbose, windy, wordy

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness- Edmund Burke- Mark Twain

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a boring evening with uninteresting people
  • the deadening effect of some routine tasks
  • a dull play
  • his competent but dull performance
  • a ho-hum speaker who couldn't capture their attention
  • what an irksome task the writing of long letters is
  • tedious days on the train
  • the tiresome chirping of a cricket
  • other people's dreams are dreadfully wearisome

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: boring, deadening, dull, ho-hum, irksome, slow, tiresome, wearisome

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

English tedi(um) + -ous, from Old French tedieus, from Late Latin taediōsus, from Latin taedium (“weariness, tedium”).

Across languages

Translations

81 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: ձանձրալի (janjrali) — boring, monotonous
  • Armenian: տաղտկալի (taġtkali) — boring, monotonous
  • Armenian: հոգնեցուցիչ (hognecʻucʻičʻ) — boring, monotonous
  • Azerbaijani: cansıxıcı — boring, monotonous
  • Azerbaijani: bezikdirici — boring, monotonous
  • Azerbaijani: usandırıcı — boring, monotonous
  • Azerbaijani: yorucu — boring, monotonous
  • Bulgarian: скучен (skučen) — boring, monotonous
  • Bulgarian: еднообразен (ednoobrazen) — boring, monotonous
  • Catalan: tediós — boring, monotonous
  • Chinese Mandarin: 乏味 (fáwèi) — boring, monotonous
  • Chinese Mandarin: 枯燥 (kūzào) — boring, monotonous
  • Chinese Mandarin: 繁瑣 /繁琐 (fánsuǒ) — boring, monotonous
  • Czech: nudný — boring, monotonous
  • Czech: otravný — boring, monotonous
  • Czech: nezáživný — boring, monotonous
  • Czech: vlekoucí se — boring, monotonous
  • Czech: fádní — boring, monotonous
  • Czech: suchopárný — boring, monotonous
  • Czech: únavný — boring, monotonous
  • Danish: kedelig — boring, monotonous
  • Danish: trættende — boring, monotonous
  • Danish: triviel — boring, monotonous
  • Dutch: saai — boring, monotonous
  • Dutch: langdradig — boring, monotonous
  • Dutch: monotoon — boring, monotonous
  • Esperanto: teda — boring, monotonous
  • Finnish: pitkäveteinen — boring, monotonous
  • Finnish: ikävä — boring, monotonous
  • Finnish: tylsä — boring, monotonous
  • Finnish: hengetön — boring, monotonous
  • French: fastidieux — boring, monotonous
  • French: laborieux — boring, monotonous
  • German: ermüdend — boring, monotonous
  • German: langweilig — boring, monotonous
  • German: langwierig — boring, monotonous
  • German: lästig — boring, monotonous
  • German: mühsam — boring, monotonous
  • German: nervtötend — boring, monotonous
  • German: weitschweifig — boring, monotonous
  • Hungarian: unalmas — boring, monotonous
  • Hungarian: fárasztó — boring, monotonous
  • Irish: liosta — boring, monotonous
  • Irish: leadránach — boring, monotonous
  • Italian: noioso — boring, monotonous
  • Italian: tedioso — boring, monotonous
  • Italian: fastidioso — boring, monotonous
  • Italian: palloso — boring, monotonous
  • Italian: soporifero — boring, monotonous
  • Japanese: 退屈な (taikutsu-na) — boring, monotonous
  • Latin: taediōsus — boring, monotonous
  • Māori: takeo — boring, monotonous
  • Māori: hongeā — boring, monotonous
  • Māori: hongehongeā — boring, monotonous
  • Māori: hokehokeā — boring, monotonous
  • Māori: whakahōhā — boring, monotonous
  • Norwegian Bokmål: ensformig — boring, monotonous
  • Norwegian Bokmål: langtekkelig — boring, monotonous
  • Norwegian Bokmål: kjedelig — boring, monotonous
  • Norwegian Bokmål: traurig — boring, monotonous
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: einsformig — boring, monotonous
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: kjedeleg — boring, monotonous
  • Occitan: tediós — boring, monotonous
  • Old English: æþryt — boring, monotonous
  • Polish: nużący — boring, monotonous
  • Polish: nudny — boring, monotonous
  • Polish: żmudny — boring, monotonous
  • Portuguese: entediante — boring, monotonous
  • Portuguese: enfadonho — boring, monotonous
  • Portuguese: monótono — boring, monotonous
  • Russian: ну́дный (núdnyj) — boring, monotonous
  • Russian: ску́чный (skúčnyj) — boring, monotonous
  • Russian: утоми́тельный (utomítelʹnyj) — boring, monotonous
  • Scottish Gaelic: liosta — boring, monotonous
  • Spanish: tedioso — boring, monotonous
  • Spanish: prolijo — boring, monotonous
  • Swedish: långtråkig — boring, monotonous
  • Swedish: tjatig — boring, monotonous
  • Swedish: enformig — boring, monotonous
  • Ukrainian: нудний (nudnyj) — boring, monotonous
  • Ukrainian: стомливий (stomlyvyj) — boring, monotonous