tedious
What does "tedious" mean?
The word "tedious" describes something that is long, slow, and dull, often to the point of being tiresome or irritating. It carries the mental image of a task that drags on forever, draining your energy and patience because it lacks any excitement or variety. In usage, it is most commonly applied to repetitive tasks, long meetings, or monotonous work. While "boring" is a general term for lack of interest, "tedious" specifically emphasizes the wearisome nature of duration and repetition. It is a formal, slightly sophisticated way to express frustration with a slow process.
"tedious" in conversation
Discussing office work
Are you almost done with those spreadsheets?
Are you almost done with those spreadsheets?
Not yet. It's such a tedious task to re-enter every single receipt manually.
Not yet. It's such a tedious task to re-enter every single receipt manually.
Used to describe a repetitive, time-consuming administrative task.
Waiting in a queue
I've been standing in this line for forty minutes.
I've been standing in this line for forty minutes.
I know, the wait is incredibly tedious.
I know, the wait is incredibly tedious.
Used to describe a slow, inactive process that feels like a waste of time.
"tedious" in a sentence
The lecture was long and tedious.
The lecture was long and tedious.
I find cleaning the garage to be a tedious chore.
I find cleaning the garage to be a tedious chore.
He spent hours on the tedious process of cataloging the library's entire collection.
He spent hours on the tedious process of cataloging the library's entire collection.
