Basic Details
Word: Monotonous
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Dull and boring because it never changes, like a voice that stays on one note or a task repeated again and again.
Synonyms: boring, dull, repetitive, tedious
Antonyms: varied, interesting, lively
How to Spell Monotonous
Syllables: mo - not - o - nous
Tricky part: Four o's come first and then a u: mo-no-to-no-us. Students often write monotanous, or drop the o of ous and write monotonus.
Watch out for: monotanous, monotonus, monotonuos
Memory tip: Think of mono + tone: one tone all the way. Drop the e of tone before ous, just as nerve becomes nervous.
Usage Examples
Example 1: The speaker read his whole speech in a monotonous voice, and half the hall yawned.
Example 2: Folding two hundred paper bags for the fair was monotonous, but we finished by evening.
Example 3: The ticking of the old wall clock was the only monotonous sound in the silent room.
Fun Fact
The noun from this word is monotony. It is easy to confuse with monopoly, because the two words differ in only two letters.
Practise the CREST Way
Mingle-Mangle
Unscramble the jumbled word in the sentence and choose the correct word:
The drive across the flat plain was so tsuoonnmoo that Arjun fell asleep.
a) mountainous
b) ominous
c) monotonous
d) momentous
Show answer
c) monotonous. Four o's sit in the jumble, and monotonous is the only option that uses them all.
Word Cookie
Fill in the missing letters to complete the word:
monot_n_us
a) o, u
b) u, o
c) o, o
d) a, o
Show answer
c) o, o. Tone keeps its o, and ous begins with o as well.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word monotonous as used in the sentence:
Copying the same sentence fifty times was monotonous work for the boys.
a) tedious
b) varied
c) repetitive
d) dull
Show answer
b) varied. Work that keeps changing is varied; the other three describe the same boring sameness.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A monotonous voice is one that ____.
a) is very loud
b) hardly rises or falls
c) sings well
d) speaks quickly
Show answer
b) hardly rises or falls
2. Which of these jobs would most people find monotonous?
a) counting the same coins all day
b) solving a fresh puzzle
c) planning a party
d) visiting a new city
Show answer
a) counting the same coins all day
