Boring Meaning
/ˈbɔː.ɹɪŋ/Definition, CEFR level A1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounThe act or process of boring holes; such practice as an area of expertise in manufacturing.
nounThe act or process of boring holes; such practice as an area of expertise in manufacturing., Enlarging an existing hole with a single-point cutting tool or a boring head (usually with high precision and accuracy regarding the roundness and size of the hole).
Sentence Examples
The professor's boring lecture put me to sleep.
The holiday continues to be very boring.
Many diets fail because they are boring.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Antonyms:
CEFR Practice Quiz
The professor's lecture was so ____ that many students fell asleep.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The movie was so ____ that I actually fell asleep in the middle of it.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree Middle English boren Proto-Germanic *-ungō Old English -ung Middle English -ynge Middle English boryng English boring Inherited from Middle English boryng (“making a hole”). By surface analysis, bore + -ing.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"It is common in urban areas that a great many borings exist from prior construction work."
— 1992, J. Patrick Powers, Construction dewatering: new methods and applications, page 191:
"“Why don’t you become a Baptist preacher?” she interrupted wearily. He smiled at her briefly. Then, from the way he leaned back, adjusted his glasses, took a quick sip of martini, Ida knew she was in for a speech. Biting hard on her back teeth, she sighed and prepared to listen as little as possible. Suffocating, she mumbled, that’s what he is! And boringer than hell!"
— 1956 September, Laura Beheler, chapter 16, in The Paper Dolls, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin Company; Cambridge, Mass.: The Riverside Press, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 175:
"Oh, let's not spoil a good dinner with a reconcilation^([sic]) scene. We’ve hardly split up. We’ll get to be like two old people who can communicate, and nothing’s boringer than that."
— 1983, Peter De Vries, chapter 13, in Slouching Towards Kalamazoo, Boston, Mass.: Little, Brown and Company, →ISBN, page 212:
"“I had the most boring day in life yesterday. I couldn’t go to work with my dad, so I went with my mom.” […] “Mine was even boringer than yours,” Kitty said. She was starting to whine, and she flipped her ponytail. She did both of those things a lot. “I didn’t get to spend that much time with my dad, either, since he’s a pilot.”"
— 2004, Nancy Rue, “Sophie and the Scoundrels (Book 3)”, in Sophie’s Secret (Faithgirlz!; The Sophie Series, 2), Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zonderkidz, →ISBN, pages 125–126:
""We've had some moments in the spotlight, and there will be more to come. But boring is good when operating railways."
— 2023 February 8, Paul Stephen with Howard Smith, “Elizabeth Line: "It's not job done yet"”, in RAIL, number 976, page 35:
Explore More A1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The professor's lecture was so ____ that many students fell asleep.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The movie was so ____ that I actually fell asleep in the middle of it.