- 1單調乏味的、平淡無奇的
Humdrum means boring in a flat, everyday way — the same tasks, the same days, nothing new to look at. Work can be humdrum; a town can feel humdrum. There is also a noun: the humdrum of daily life is that grey routine of washing, buses, and the same desk. It is dull rather than painful — not as sharp as 'awful', not as empty as 'nothing happened'. A little old-fashioned, but still common in writing. Though actually, a humdrum life can be a safe one; the word only says there is no spark, not that anything is wrong. The sound of the word (hum-drum) itself feels like a low, same-again noise, which fits.
組成Probably sound-play: a kind of echo of hum (a low, same-again sound). People have used it since the 1500s.
原始詞典資料3 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，摘錄並精簡格式，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
humdrumadj/ˈhʌmdɹʌm/
- 1
Lacking variety or excitement; dull; boring.
- In the valley there would have been feasting and celebration, and then dancing at the wedding, and afterwards the turmoil of a brief romance turning to humdrum married life, the cares of her house, the cares of children, anxiety, fret, illness, trouble, the day-by-day routine of growing old.
- He suggested cusk, because he knew they would have it. She had never heard of cusk. “Doesn't it sound exotic!” she said. “Exotic indeed!” he laughed, and almost told her what a humdrum fish it really was, but stopped himself.
humdrumnoun/ˈhʌmdɹʌm/
- 1
The quality of lacking variety or excitement.
- I think it helped distract us from the dry, humdrum, and heat of the here and now.
- 2
datedA stupid fellow.
- So, after settling it that Mr. and Mrs. Wilson were complete country humdrums, the daughters hoydens, the sons awkward half-dandies, and the company altogether any thing but agreeable, she came to a conclusion she had done fifty times before, that the country was not like London.
摘錄自 英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary，已精簡格式；依 CC BY-SA 4.0 授權使用，改動後的內容同樣以此授權提供。