Definition of ho-humnext
as in boring
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest the characterizations are good, but the plot is just ho-hum

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

ho hum

2 of 2

interjection

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ho-hum
Adjective
The game’s review scores among critics were a bit ho-hum, but players ate it up, especially with the non-stop, large-scale updates that arrive every week or so, and have drastically transformed the game in just a few months. Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026 The ho-hum on Supergirl was further exacerbated by the response to the first trailer and the takeaway from CinemaCon (the bus battle scene wasn’t entirely embraced when shown in the room). Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 29 June 2026
Interjection
Moreover, on a day-to-day basis, not just month-to-month, record lows are almost becoming, well, ho hum. Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 9 Feb. 2017 Flat screens—ho hum, most CRTs long ago were relegated to the basement or the recycling center. IEEE Spectrum, 7 Jan. 2011 See All Example Sentences for ho-hum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ho-hum
Adjective
  • Far fewer people stay responsible when the work turns boring, unclear or inconvenient, and that's precisely when ownership surfaces.
    Somdutta Singh, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • Monocultures can be boring, but on the flipside, a huge collection of individual species looks like a busy bowl of potpourri.
    Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 June 2026
Interjection
  • The new iPad Pro marks the point midway between the way things were (Bezel? Yuck!) and the way they soon will be (Nothing but screen.
    David Pierce, WIRED, 12 June 2017
Adjective
  • There was no repeat of the slow start that cost him a spot last season.
    Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 5 July 2026
  • The house old-fashioned can be made with bourbon or gin and is a much slower sip.
    Blair Crosby, AJC.com, 5 July 2026
Adjective
  • The 90 minutes or more will be highly physical and tiring, and only one will remain standing at the end.
    Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 1 July 2026
  • The head coach was clumsy in his response, saying — in effect — that the player is better suited to being an impact substitute and taking advantage of tiring opposition defenders.
    Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 26 June 2026
Adjective
  • But all work and no play can make for a dull chief scientific officer.
    Ed Silverman, STAT, 2 July 2026
  • The great speculators became talkative and communicative or dull, sullen, silent, and peevish.
    Owen Lamont, Fortune, 2 July 2026
Adjective
  • And no, that was NOT OutKick or FOX who wrote that stupid headline.
    Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
  • The thing about House of the Dragon is that everything really is quite stupid.
    Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 29 June 2026
Adjective
  • And ever since, ships full of travelers, weary from long journeys, have passed through the narrows, the winds of the Atlantic at their backs.
    Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 3 July 2026
  • As America turns 250, the semiquincentennial feels like a dud — a far cry from 1976’s bicentennial blowout, when pop culture and communal celebrations united a weary nation.
    Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Adjective
  • Meek, a 10-year-old Black girl, is grappling with her fears of nuclear Armageddon as more prosaic domestic concerns kick into high gear.
    Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
  • However, that is changing as the US Department of Defense seeks more robust, less vulnerable power systems for military satellites that are less hazardous than the older spacecraft powered by uranium and plutonium.
    David Szondy July 07, New Atlas, 8 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Ho-hum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ho-hum. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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