boring

The word “boring” means causing boredom; dull and uninteresting. In plain terms, dull and uninteresting — or, in engineering, the act of drilling a precise hole.

“Boring” is pronounced BAW-rihng (/ˈboɹ.ɪŋ/ in IPA).

Here is “boring” used in a sentence: “The documentary turned out to be surprisingly boring.”

Words with a similar meaning to “boring” include dull, mind-numbing, tedious, banal, basic and beat.

Depending on how it is used, “boring” can be an adjective and a noun.

“Boring” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

“Boring” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: causing boredom; dull and uninteresting.

'Boring' describes the thing that causes the feeling; 'bored' describes the person who feels it. A lecture can be boring, and that makes you bored. A useful test: -ing adjectives point to the source, -ed adjectives to your reaction. So saying 'I am boring' means you bore others, not that you feel dull.

The opposite is something that holds your attention and sparks interest. Common antonyms include interesting, exciting, engaging, fascinating, and stimulating. Where boring makes time drag, its opposites pull you in and make an activity feel lively or worthwhile, whether that is a gripping book, a fun game, or lively company.

Yes, it is generally negative. Calling something boring criticises it for failing to hold your interest, and calling a person boring can sound quite hurtful. The word signals dullness and lack of appeal, so it is worth using carefully, especially about people, where softer phrasing is usually kinder.