boring en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ˈbɔː.ɹɪŋ/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˈboə.ɹɪŋ/ non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger
- (US) audio
- /ˈboɹ.ɪŋ/ rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger
- /ˈboː.ɹɪŋ/ rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger
- /ˈboɹ.ɪŋ/ (General-American)
Etymology
Etymology tree Middle English boren Proto-Germanic *-ungō Old English -ung Middle English -ynge Middle English boryng English boring Inherited from Middle English boryng (“making a hole”). By surface analysis, bore + -ing.
Meanings
-
Causing boredom or tiredness; making one feel tired and impatient.
“Why don’t you become a Baptist preacher?” she interrupted wearily. He smiled at her briefly. Then, from the way he leaned back, adjusted his glasses, took a quick sip of martini, Ida knew she was in for a speech. Biting hard on her back teeth, she sighed and prepared to listen as little as possible. Suffocating, she mumbled, that’s what he is! And boringer than hell!
1956 September, Laura Beheler, chapter 16, in The Paper Dolls, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin Company; Cambridge, Mass.: The Riverside Press, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 175:What a boring film that was! I almost fell asleep.
"We've had some moments in the spotlight, and there will be more to come. But boring is good when operating railways.
2023 February 8, Paul Stephen with Howard Smith, “Elizabeth Line: "It's not job done yet"”, in RAIL, number 976, page 35:“I had the most boring day in life yesterday. I couldn’t go to work with my dad, so I went with my mom.” […] “Mine was even boringer than yours,” Kitty said. She was starting to whine, and she flipped her ponytail. She did both of those things a lot. “I didn’t get to spend that much time with my dad, either, since he’s a pilot.”
2004, Nancy Rue, “Sophie and the Scoundrels (Book 3)”, in Sophie’s Secret (Faithgirlz!; The Sophie Series, 2), Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zonderkidz, →ISBN, pages 125–126:Oh, let's not spoil a good dinner with a reconcilation^([sic]) scene. We’ve hardly split up. We’ll get to be like two old people who can communicate, and nothing’s boringer than that.
1983, Peter De Vries, chapter 13, in Slouching Towards Kalamazoo, Boston, Mass.: Little, Brown and Company, →ISBN, page 212:
-
(Manglish) Suffering from boredom; mildly annoyed and restless through having nothing to do.
I very boring.
-
Used, designed to be used, or able to drill holes.
boring equipment
boring snails
-
Capable of penetrating; piercing.
[H]is remarkably blue eyes had the trick of boring concentration.
1963, Arthur Upfield, The Lake Frome Monster, London: Pan Books, published 1969, page 11:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| boringer | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| boringest | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more boring | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most boring | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Antonyms
captivating · entertaining · exciting · engaging · arousing · fascinating · interesting · charming · enchanting
Deriveds
boring as beans · wood-boring · unboring · nonboring · boringness · boringly · Boring Billion
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
Relateds
common · bored · bore · boredom
Synonyms
mind-numbing · static · insipid · straightforward · cold · plodding · drowsy · basic · mindless · pedestrian · heavy going · colourless · dull as dishwater · lame · snoozeworthy · pedantic · stodgy · longsome · weaksauce · corny · blah · lackluster · prosaic · commonplace · vanilla · languid · banal · flat · dull · soporific · humdrum · wooden · stuffy · dreich · vapid · no fun at parties · drab · boring · uncool · mundane · wan · beat · plain · ho-hum · tedious · prosy · bored · bland · monotonous · uninteresting · lifeless
Translations (110)
es fome (causing boredom or tiredness) · fa ملالآور (causing boredom or tiredness) · fr barbant (causing boredom or tiredness) · sh до̏са̄дан (causing boredom or tiredness) · mi hōhā (causing boredom or tiredness) · ja うんざりさせた (causing boredom or tiredness) · ru ну́дный (causing boredom or tiredness) · es amazacotado (causing boredom or tiredness) · it uggioso (causing boredom or tiredness) · el βαρετός (causing boredom or tiredness) · fi tylsä (causing boredom or tiredness) · ga leadránach (causing boredom or tiredness) · es tedioso (causing boredom or tiredness) · he משעמם (causing boredom or tiredness) · sh dȍsādan (causing boredom or tiredness) · ru ску́чный (causing boredom or tiredness) · ka მოსაწყენი (causing boredom or tiredness) · bg ску́чен (causing boredom or tiredness) · fr ennuyeux (causing boredom or tiredness) · mr कंटाळवाणी (causing boredom or tiredness) · it stucchevole (causing boredom or tiredness) · cy diflas (causing boredom or tiredness) · eo enuiga (causing boredom or tiredness) · it tedioso (causing boredom or tiredness) · it soporifero (causing boredom or tiredness) · nl saai (causing boredom or tiredness) · es mazacotudo (causing boredom or tiredness) · it noioso (causing boredom or tiredness) · mr कंटाळवाणे (causing boredom or tiredness) · az darıxdırıcı (causing boredom or tiredness) · mi pāngū (causing boredom or tiredness) · el ανιαρός (causing boredom or tiredness) · lt nuobodus (causing boredom or tiredness) · cmn 無聊 /无聊 (causing boredom or tiredness) · nn kjedeleg (causing boredom or tiredness) · th น่าเบื่อ (causing boredom or tiredness) · es aburrido (causing boredom or tiredness) · it barboso (causing boredom or tiredness) · io enoyigiva (causing boredom or tiredness) · pt maçante (causing boredom or tiredness) · ja 退屈な (causing boredom or tiredness) · eo enua (causing boredom or tiredness) · tk tukat (causing boredom or tiredness) · gl pesado (causing boredom or tiredness) · sv långtråkig (causing boredom or tiredness) · mi mākihakiha (causing boredom or tiredness) · cs nudný (causing boredom or tiredness) · mi takeo (causing boredom or tiredness) · sl dolgočásen (causing boredom or tiredness) · ko 재미없다 (causing boredom or tiredness) · hy ձանձրալի (causing boredom or tiredness) · io enoyiganta (causing boredom or tiredness) · fr ennuyant (causing boredom or tiredness) · ms bosan (causing boredom or tiredness) · pl nudny (causing boredom or tiredness) · mg mankaleo (causing boredom or tiredness) · az cansıxıcı (causing boredom or tiredness) · nn keisam (causing boredom or tiredness) · mr कंटाळवाणा (causing boredom or tiredness) · ro plicticos (causing boredom or tiredness) · es aburridor (causing boredom or tiredness) · da kedsom (causing boredom or tiredness) · nb kjedelig (causing boredom or tiredness) · fo leiðiligur (causing boredom or tiredness) · fa کسالتبار (causing boredom or tiredness) · nb kjedsommelig (causing boredom or tiredness) · ca avorrit (causing boredom or tiredness) · ko 지루하다 (causing boredom or tiredness) · th เบื่อ (causing boredom or tiredness) · fo keðiligur (causing boredom or tiredness) · fa کسلکننده (causing boredom or tiredness) · kl qasunarpoq (causing boredom or tiredness) · pt entediante (causing boredom or tiredness) · nrf enn'yant (causing boredom or tiredness) · yi נודנע (causing boredom or tiredness) · ar مُمِلّ (causing boredom or tiredness) · lb langweileg (causing boredom or tiredness) · cmn 乏味 (causing boredom or tiredness) · el πληκτικός (causing boredom or tiredness) · eo teda (causing boredom or tiredness) · ko 무료하다 (causing boredom or tiredness) · ro fastidios (causing boredom or tiredness) · it palloso (causing boredom or tiredness) · eu aspergarri (causing boredom or tiredness) · ro anost (causing boredom or tiredness) · vi chán (causing boredom or tiredness) · yi סקוטשנע (causing boredom or tiredness) · gd liosta (causing boredom or tiredness) · es soso (causing boredom or tiredness) · hu unalmas (causing boredom or tiredness) · ar مُضْجِر (causing boredom or tiredness) · ja つまらない (causing boredom or tiredness) · da kedelig (causing boredom or tiredness) · es muermo (causing boredom or tiredness) · fi ikävystyttävä (causing boredom or tiredness) · uk нудни́й (causing boredom or tiredness) · la taediōsus (causing boredom or tiredness) · kw skwithus (causing boredom or tiredness) · et igav (causing boredom or tiredness) · be абры́длівы (causing boredom or tiredness) · ka მოსაბეზრებელი (causing boredom or tiredness) · tr sıkıcı (causing boredom or tiredness) · ro plictisitor (causing boredom or tiredness) · gl aburrido (causing boredom or tiredness) · is leiðinlegur (causing boredom or tiredness) · pt chato (causing boredom or tiredness) · cmn 沒勁 /没劲 (causing boredom or tiredness) · bg доса́ден (causing boredom or tiredness) · pt enfadonho (causing boredom or tiredness) · de langweilig (causing boredom or tiredness)