tiresome

adjective

tire·​some ˈtī(-ə)r-səm How to pronounce tiresome (audio)
: wearisome, tedious
a tiresome lecture
tiresomely adverb
tiresomeness noun

Examples of tiresome in a Sentence

All those stories about his childhood can become tiresome after a while. what a tiresome church service that turned out to be
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The movie drags in the middle, when it’s locked in a prisoner drama that grows a little tiresome and predictable. Jake Coyle, Boston Herald, 24 Oct. 2025 Toxic relationships and love triangles also ranked among the most tiresome or uninteresting tropes for young viewers. Andrew McGowan, Variety, 22 Oct. 2025 The smirking Nabokov is tiresome. New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025 Pointed gestures toward the lingering tension between Japan and Korea — and between those two countries and the rest of the planet — are drowned out by tiresome bickering and exaggerated gags, like a meaningful conversation swallowed into the sound of an airplane engine screaming overhead. David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 15 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tiresome

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1520, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tiresome was circa 1520

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tiresome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tiresome. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

tiresome

adjective
tire·​some ˈtī(ə)r-səm How to pronounce tiresome (audio)
: likely to tire one because of length or dullness : boring
a tiresome lecture
tiresomely adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on tiresome

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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