What does tedious mean?
Tedious is an adjective describing something that causes weariness or boredom. The word is especially appropriate for an activity that seems unnecessarily long, repetitive, or lacking in interesting features, such as a tedious task, journey, or procedure. It may suggest physical or mental fatigue, but it can also convey irritation at the apparent inefficiency or monotony of the thing described. Although tedious and boring overlap in meaning, tedious often has the additional implication of duration, making it particularly useful for describing work or procedures that seem to continue with little variation. The word is neutral and widely used in formal and informal contexts in both British and American English. In more critical writing, it can indicate that something is not merely uninteresting but needlessly prolonged. Because it combines an assessment of experience with a judgment about a situation, tedious often appears when writers or speakers want to criticize something without using the milder, more general word dull.
adjectiveCausing weariness or boredom, especially because something is lengthy, repetitive, or uninteresting.
- Causing boredom or weariness through excessive length, repetition, or lack of interest.
"The final stages of the approval process were slow and tedious."
"The final stages of the approval process were slow and tedious."
"She found the repetitive proofreading task tedious, though she appreciated its importance."
Tedious has Latin boredom written all over it: its ancestor, taedium, literally meant weariness.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does tedious come from?
Tedious entered English in the early modern period from the Latin adjective taediosus, meaning “tedious” or “wearisome.” The Latin word was derived from taedium, “weariness” or “boredom,” which in turn came from taedere, “to make weary.” English also adopted the related noun tedium, while Latin taedium and taediosus preserve the forms closest to the word's immediate source.
Related word forms
How tedious is actually used
Generally neutral and formal in tone, though it can sound more critical than dull when describing a prolonged or frustrating activity. It is widely understood in both British and American English.
Easily confused with tedious
Tedious means dull or excessively long, whereas tendentious expresses a strong, biased, or controversial tendency.