humdrum
/ˈhʌmdɹʌm/adjective, noun
humdrum is spelled H-U-M-D-R-U-M: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 57,423rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, humdrum means “Lacking variety or excitement; dull; boring” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in humdrum?
| Letters | 7: H-U-M-D-R-U-M |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 4 million words; the 57,423rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is humdrum?
Humdrum appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 57,423rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce humdrum?
- /ˈhʌmdɹʌm/
Humdrum has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-humdrum.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of humdrum
- more humdrum comparative
- most humdrum superlative
- humdrums plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does humdrum mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Lacking variety or excitement; dull; boring.
noun
- 1
The quality of lacking variety or excitement.
- 2
datedA stupid fellow.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Humdrum in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | monotone, ennuyeux, embétant, soporifique , traintrain |
| German | langweilig, monoton, eintönig, dröge, gleichförmig, trist |
| Spanish | aburrido, tedioso, soso |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does humdrum come from?
Sound-symbolic, possible reduplication of hum, 1550s.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).