Monotony
/məˈnɒt.ə.ni/noun
The quality of being dull, tedious, and unvarying.
Did you know?The word comes from Greek roots meaning “one tone,” and its cousin family appears in words like *tone* and *accent*, showing how sound itself became the metaphor for lifeless repetition.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
monotonos
“having one tone; unvarying in pitch or strain”
Late Latin
Latin
monotonia
“sameness of tone or manner”
14th Century
English
monotonie
“sameness or uniformity in sound or manner”
Modern English
English
monotony
“tedious sameness; lack of variety”
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