Tasks can be boring or fun. There seems to be no in between, and a lot of that enthusiasm depends on the length of the task in question. This article will specifically look into words we can use for tasks that will take a long time.
Which Words Can Describe A Task That Will Take A Long Time?
We can provide plenty of options to describe tasks of this nature. You should check out some of the following:
- Time-consuming
- Resource-intensive
- Lengthy
- Drawn-out
- Extended
- Prolonged
- Protracted
- Cumbersome
- Arduous
- Tedious
- Boring
The preferred version is “time-consuming” because it highlights the exact meaning we’re looking for. We can call tasks that are either boring or fun time-consuming. The idea is that they “consume” a lot of “time,” but we need not indicate whether we like the task or not.
Time-Consuming
“Time-consuming” is a great adjective we can use to talk about long tasks. We mainly use it negatively to show that we’re not happy about the amount of time something takes to complete. However, it can also be a positive adjective when needed to be.
The definition of “time-consuming,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “taking a lot of time to do or complete.”
- These tasks are very time-consuming, but I’m a diligent worker and get them done.
- I hate how time-consuming my days can be when the boss sets these tasks.
- Stop setting time-consuming work for him. He’s suffered enough already!
Resource-Intensive
“Resource-intensive” is a good adjective we can use with a more specific meaning. It refers to tasks that take a long time because of the amount of “resources” they demand from what is available in an office.
For example, if a system requires a lot of memory to run, it can be slower than usual. This is made worse if your office’s equipment is old-fashioned and lacks memory. The work could be slow through no fault of your own because it’s “resource-intensive.”
- The resource-intensive tasks always make me lose my mind!
- I don’t think you realize how resource-intensive this one was!
- Stop giving us such resource-intensive tasks! How are we ever going to complete them?
Lengthy
“Lengthy” works when we want to show that a task continues for a long time. We use it mainly negatively, but it can also show that we might be happy with certain tasks that require more time than usual.
The definition of “lengthy,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “continuing for a long time.”
- The lengthy tasks are always the ones that I look forward to doing.
- Sometimes, it’s nice to have lengthier tasks! That way, you can switch your brain off and just get them done.
- I want to stop with these lengthy jobs. I need to take a break from them!
Drawn-out
“Drawn-out” shows that we are not best pleased with the length of a task. It is a negative adjective we can use to describe a task that takes more time than it deserves.
It’s a good word to share your disappointment with a superior. If you believe that the task did not require as much time or effort as you gave to it, you might want to use a word like this to explain yourself.
The definition of “drawn-out,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “lasting longer than is usual or necessary.”
- You’ve managed to make this task more drawn-out than I thought possible!
- I feel like this task has drawn-out for longer than I wanted it! I’m so sick of it already.
- Can we stop handing out drawn-out jobs for the lackeys to do now, please?
Extended
“Extended” means that something is longer than usual. If someone is used to shorter tasks or jobs, we can use “extended” whenever we’ve decided to set them one that might take more time than they’re used to.
The definition of “extended,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “long or longer than usual.”
- I have extended the hours required to complete this task. Hopefully, you’ll find them more suitable now.
- If you’d like any more of these extended tasks, please do not hesitate to contact me.
- I think you should look into getting an extended record for this. The longer the employment, the better.
Prolonged
“Prolonged” means that something is designed to last for a long time. Often, tasks like this don’t require much brain power, but they certainly require a great deal of dedication.
Sometimes, the most boring jobs are the ones that take the longest time. Therefore, we need to find somebody who is willing to commit some hours into a task no matter how boring it might seem to them.
The definition of “prolonged,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “continuing for a long time.”
- The prolonged tasks have managed to keep my workforce busy for a very long time.
- I didn’t mean to set so many prolonged jobs for you. I’ll try to find someone to help you lighten the load.
- Oh, no! This task is going to be a prolonged one! I need to find the time to set aside for it.
Protracted
“Protracted” means that something takes a long time to complete. It works well when we want to use something other than “prolonged” to show that it requires a great deal of effort or time.
The definition of “protracted,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “lasting for a long time or made to last longer than necessary.”
- I have set a few tasks that might be a little protracted, but they’re necessary.
- You should find attached a list of protracted jobs that I need you to delegate for me.
- If you think I’m going to do a job that protracted for you anytime soon, you can think again!
Cumbersome
“Cumbersome” is great to show that we aren’t particularly thrilled with the length of a task. It means that we have a difficult time managing our time and effort because we find it much longer than it needs to be.
The definition of “cumbersome,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “difficult to do or manage and taking a lot of time and effort.”
- These tasks are particularly cumbersome. I think we should talk to the boss about them.
- Do you mind giving me such cumbersome tasks when I’m supposed to be on vacation?
- I need to find a job that’s less cumbersome. I’m sick of the long hours!
Arduous
“Arduous” works when we want to show that something is difficult because it is long and requires a lot of effort. Typically, arduous jobs are difficult because they require our minds to be active at all times.
Some people only have another “bandwidth” for a certain amount of time in their job roles or with the tasks they do. Therefore, if a task is not only long but challenging, it can prove too difficult for some people.
The definition of “arduous,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “difficult, needing a lot of effort and energy.”
- The arduous tasks set by our managers are getting a little out of control.
- I can’t handle all these arduous tasks! I need a break before I go mad.
- Let’s not agree to do any more of the arduous tasks! They’re not worth our time!
Tedious
“Tedious” allows us to be a little more specific with our inspiration or enjoyment from a job. We can use it to show that it’s long, but it also shows that we are not happy about doing it and will find it boring.
“Tedious” is a bit harsh when used to talk about all long tasks. While some tasks are long, they don’t always have to be synonymous with the word “boring.” However, some people simply avoid tasks that take more than a few hours for this very reason.
The definition of “tedious,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “boring.”
- The boss has set some pretty tedious tasks for us over the coming weeks.
- These tasks are very tedious. I think we might be able to speed them up if we work together but not by much.
- I don’t want to have to do any more tedious data-entry jobs. I’m sick of them!
Boring
Again, if we want to be more specific about whether we will enjoy the task (or not), then “boring” is a good option. It doesn’t specifically refer to the amount of time the task will take, but the implication is that it will be long and uninspiring.
Most people find longer tasks to be boring. If they take up far too much of someone’s time, they might find that they’re bored beyond belief. That’s why we can use this word just as well as “tedious.”
The definition of “boring,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “not interesting or exciting.”
- This task is so boring! I really didn’t want to do it, but the boss made me.
- I think this is incredibly boring! I wish there were something else I could be doing right now.
- Well, it’s definitely going to be a boring task. It’s going to take at least a couple of hours!
You may also like:
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Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here.
To emphasise that the work is boring and without reward, consider one of:
Grunt work: work that is menial and thankless. During the summer, I earned money doing grunt work. I did all of the grunt work on the project, but my boss got all of the credit. The Free Dictionary
Grind: to do tedious, laborious, and sometimes menial work. The Free Dictionary
The latter has some nice idioms: back to the grind (going back to work after a break or vacation), daily grind (a tedious daily routine/job), grind away [at a job] (e.g. «he had to grind away for years at redecorating the old mansion»). You sometimes also see grind work and on your grind.
If you want to emphasise the ongoing physical difficulty of the work, and the exhaustion it can cause, toil (which can be used both as noun and verb) would be a good choice. The fact the work is mundane is often implied, but it isn’t so explicit.
Toil: hard and continuous work; exhausting labor or effort. Dictionary.com
To emphasise that the work is continuous and unrelenting, consider working like a dog or (a common metaphor) being on the treadmill (which particularly hints at how one feels little sense of progress or having «got anywhere»).
Work like a dog (UK also work like a Trojan): to work very hard. You can work like a dog and still not make ends meet.
Cambridge OnlineTreadmill: a monotonous routine or set of tasks. The Free Dictionary
Some Boring Words and What You Can Use Instead in ielts exam
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IELTS FEVER
/ 18/03/2018
Some Boring Words and What You Can Use Instead these words are very helpful in increasing your IELTS band score look these words for improving your ielts score ? Instead of “ACTUALLY”, use: • Absolutely • As a matter of fact • Indeed • In fact • In point of fact • In reality • Indeed …
Some Boring Words and What You Can Use Instead in ielts exam Read More »
OP Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002 Posts: 7,210 |
I have a friend who is looking for the German word for the ability to concentrate on a dull or boring task. any ideas? formerly known as etaoin… |
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Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 3,290
Carpal Tunnel |
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 3,290 |
for the German word I would be hard-put to come up with a word in English for this. Why does he need a German word, which likely does not exist? That aside, the word for boring in German is one of my favorite words langweiliger. |
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Joined: Jun 2002 Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel |
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OP Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002 Posts: 7,210 |
this is what he wrote: … These ‘loan’ words pop up all the time in other languages and I encountered another German word recently which describes the ability to concentrate on a dull or boring task but I cannot for the life of me remember what the word was now. so, not sure! formerly known as etaoin… |
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Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 3,290
Carpal Tunnel |
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 3,290 |
SCHWERPUNKT ‘focus, emphasis’ does not specify if a task that is being ocncentrated on is boring or exciting. I content that the word does not need to exist in English or in German. Just use the phrase. |
Do you just sometimes find yourself losing focus or getting detached because something is just too boring? Getting bored is one of the worst feelings you can experience because you don’t get anything, you waste time, and you wish you were just doing something else. Boredom frequently enters our lives and we just have to deal with it. Maybe try reading this list of slang words for boring may help you fight boredom. Enjoy reading!
Slang Words for Boring (in Alphabetical Order)
BOF
Meaning:
- (Noun) An acronym for “Boring Old Fart.” Used mainly in the UK and the US. It is used for dull old people.
- Example: My grandpa isn’t a BOF. We would go hunting and camping in the woods.
Boondocks
Meaning:
- (Noun) A slang of Filipino or Tagalog origins. It was first used for mountains or rural areas but it became widely associated with places that are boring or without any excitement.
- Example: The annual carnival has become just another boondocks. Maybe it’s because we’ve grown up.
Boonies
Meaning:
- (Noun) An altered version of “boondocks.” Any place that is “in the middle of nowhere” or no fun at all.
- Example: I hate going to children’s birthday parties. It’s all boonies with loud crying kids.
Bummer
Meaning:
- (Noun) Something disappointing or unpleasant. Comes from the German word “brummein” which is used for mindless wandering or strolling.
- Example: The spaghetti was a big bummer. They lost the original recipe so it’s no longer the same.
Bunk
Meaning:
- (Adjective) Boring, without pleasure, dull, or just disappointing.
- Example: The event was bunk because they pulled out the best bands.
Dry
Meaning:
- (Adjective) Normally, this is used for something that is lacking moisture but it can also be used to describe something that is lacking or does not produce any satisfaction.
- Example: The party started to get dry so we left as fast as we could.
Dullsville
Meaning:
- (Noun) A combination of dull and village. This slang is simply used to refer to places that are monotonous or boring.
- Example: My hometown was such a dullsville until the new mayor started improving it.
Fun Sponge
Meaning:
- (Noun) Someone who takes away the fun of something or just sucks the fun out of everything, thus making them boring.
- Example: Marcus is a fun sponge. All he cares about is the rules.
Humdrum
Meaning:
- (Adjective) This slang refers to something very dull or without any “spice.”
- Example: I was expecting something exciting for our anniversary but it was all humdrum.
Like Watching Paint Dry
Meaning:
- (Expression) A slang or expression that is somewhat sarcastic. It may be used to describe something as lacking any fun, thrill, or excitement.
- Example: Filling out paperwork is very exciting. It is like watching paint dry.
MOTS
Meaning:
- (Expression) Short for more of the same, referencing that something is boringly just the same or without any changes.
- Example: The new principal is mots. He doesn’t listen to students and lacks any exciting ideas.
Snoozefest
Meaning:
- (Noun) An event that makes you fall asleep because it is too boring.
- Example: Your birthday party was a snoozefest. We need to make up for that.
Twittlefuck
Meaning:
- (Noun) A vulgar placeholding slang for any location or place far away from anything interesting
- Example: Las Vegas was a twittlefuck desert. It was only because of the erection of casinos that the city gained some life.
Upper Robot Boot
Meaning:
- (Noun) Another placeholder for somewhere that is unhip.
- Example: He lives in Upper Robot Boot, Arizona. Nothing ever happens there.
Wet Blanket
Meaning:
- (Noun) A person that spoils or ruins the fun.
- Example: Quit being such a wet blanket! You have the chance to be cool for once.
16 Boring Words & What to Use Instead
Check out the podcast related to this fantastic boring words infographic below!
Source: www.grammarcheck.net
Creative office decor ideas bring fun into your working spaces, lighten up home office designs and help survive boring tasks and projects.
HOUSE & HOME
Writing manually takes a lot of time, but there is tool for this boring task, search for: Boorfe’s tips unlimited content
BOOKS
MOVIES & TV
«We all have to do boring tasks in our working day, and this research suggests that managers can help to motivate us to do those simply by providing a bit of encouragement or saying «thank you,»» Hewett explains.
BUSINESS
It may be the most boring task, but it is also one of the most important.
TRAVEL
Satisfying your cardio requirements can be a tedious and boring task.
HEALTH & FITNESS
We take care of this boring task so that you can save money easily.
INSURANCE
The television episodes, one featuring a round of football with a head of cabbage and another a barnyard rave, are mindblowing adventures compared to the game’s rather boring task of finding fifteen sheep before the Farmer returns.
GAMING
Getting Started Choosing a crib mattress might seem like a boring task but it’s one that warrants careful consideration.
PARENTING
In this article, I’ll share 5 top tips to effectively market eLearning in your organization and ensure that your employees understand that online training is not an unnecessary and boring task, but rather an exciting eLearning experience from which they can truly benefit.
EDUCATION
In fact, legal review work has been voted the most boring task in corporate America
LAW
Writing manually takes a lot of time, but there is tool for this boring task, search for; Wrastain’s tools for content
FOOD & BEVERAGES
So many publishers are frustrated with publishers, but nobody has offered them a suitable trade-off between taking on the boring task of self-publishing and sleeping with the devil (the publishers).
BOOKS
Our professionals will help you not only with persuasive essay topic idea, but also with all the other boring tasks, which you hate to accomplish.
BOOKS
It’s a great way to spend a lazy Sunday and besides it is more fun to relax and hang out with friends than to do boring tasks and errands before the work week right?
FASHION
After you get through your boring tasks show management you take work seriously.
JOBS
«We all have to do boring tasks in our working day, and this research suggests that managers can help to motivate us to do those simply by providing a bit of encouragement or saying «thank you».
SCIENCE
While this is true to life, that one must push themselves through a series of repetitive and boring tasks to be able to survive in the modern environment, in a game that is not similarly bound by the laws of society, it’s tedious; and in this case, kind of like padding.
GAMING
Writing a job post no longer has to be the most boring task ever!
JOBS
Going through the guardians in a super quick amount of time and doing the same boring task of deactivating terminals over and over again made me really bored, and questioning the nature of the 10/10 reviews.
GAMING
Strong bullets will spice up your resume and help ensure that your content actually showcases your strengths, not just the boring tasks that you were assigned.
JOBS
For example, there’s a startup called EvaluAgent that uses points and rewards to make boring tasks in call centers more interesting.
BUSINESS
He supports the idea that AI can be used to do the boring tasks that employers previously had to do.
LAW
You can also try listening to music or podcasts while tackling a boring task or rewarding yourself after it’s done.
SCIENCE
Writing manually takes a lot of time, but there is tool for this boring task, search for: Wrastain’s tools for content
MOVIES & TV
Budget preparation might seem like a boring task for most but it remains to be a crucial part of strengthening your finances.
MONEY
of error-prone, tedious, and boring tasks that prevent educators from helping students, take too much time, or may contribute to carpel tunnel
EDUCATION
«If we couldn’t do it during a boring task, life would be horrible,» Jonathan Smallwood, a researcher at the University of California Santa Barbara, told The New York Times.
BUSINESS
Going from the overly bloody decapitations and slicings of hundreds of enemies to the boring tasks of city life is pretty disappointing, especially when you realize just how many of these side jobs you will have to take in order to save up money.
GAMING
The chapter goes on to show that a certain kind of test requiring no academic knowledge, only a willingness to persist in a boring task, is, other things equal, highly predictive of later success.
EDUCATION
So Andrew Robinson, at the time a master’s candidate in agriculture, and his research assistants took on a very boring task.
SCIENCE
For most students, 4th grade math worksheets are viewed as a tedious, boring task.
EDUCATION
One may find it a boring task at a young age to invest in such a long-term policy, but, after retirement, an individual will get the benefit of all the small funds that he/she invested in the Pension policy at a grand level.
INSURANCE
Here’s where things get interesting: those students assigned to the boring task performed far better when asked to come up with additional uses for everyday items to which they had already been exposed.
BUSINESS
As if getting a speeding ticket and paying the fine isn’t bad enough, most of us are also forced to endure the lifeless and boring task of going through a speeding ticket class.
INSURANCE
The game is not without merit, however its slow pacing and occasionally boring tasks let the experience down in the long run.
MOVIES & TV
Getting life insurance might seem like a boring task, but at the same time it is quite important to pay attention to the fine print on your policy.
MONEY
This is clearly seen when there is scientific opinion buried among other duller but worthier evidence which is required to be analysed in the usual laborious way, ie it is a boring task.
LAW
And in return for this narration, I do boring tasks and pack away the tupperware containers that, if left to Ben’s attention, would sit on the bench.
FOOD & BEVERAGES
When you think of resume writing as a boring task, you end up writing a boring resume.
JOBS
It lets you talk about achievements on your resume rather than boring tasks and responsibilities, too!
JOBS
Today, companies all around the world are taking the features you love about videogames and applying them to boring tasks.
EDUCATION
Because of upgrading stroller, again and again, is surely a boring task.
PARENTING
Consequently, to save themselves from this boring task of researching, MBA students rely on Business Plan assignment writing help providers to score an A + grade.
BOOKS
Leave mindless, repetitive, or boring tasks for later in the day, where you’ll likely be tapering off in productivity.
JOBS
You realize that you have more important things to do than struggle with boring tasks.
BOOKS
This handy little website helps me sift through my inbox 40 % faster, and it (magically) makes one of the most boring tasks of my day into a fun game.
LAW
This might be a boring task now, but if you can invest some time and trim $ 50 from your monthly bills for free, your future self will be very happy.
MONEY
Say «help me write my dissertation» now and you can forever forget about boring tasks, missed due dates, and low grades!
BOOKS
Aron and another set of colleagues extended those findings in a 2000 study, in which dating and married couples completed either a boring task — walking back and forth — or an exciting one — walking and navigating obstacles while they were Velcroed together.
RELATIONSHIPS
What is another word for “boring”? List of 95+ words you can use instead of “boring” in English with examples. Learn these synonyms for “boring” with ESL picture to increase your English vocabulary.
Table of Contents
Boring Synonym
Other Words for “Boring”
Widely used synonyms for “Boring”.
- Dull
- Uneventful
- Dry
- Stale
- Uninteresting
- Monotonous
- Mind-numbing
- Repetitive
- Tedious
- Uninspiring
- Banal
- Bland
- Mundane
- Blah (slang)
- Bore shitless
- Bunk
- Beat
A huge list of 95+ words you can use instead of “boring”.
- Annoying
- Arid
- Banal
- Beat
- Blah (slang)
- Bland
- Bore shitless
- Bored
- Bunk
- Burdensome
- Common
- Commonplace
- Dead
- Deadly
- Depressing
- Dim
- Dismal
- Dispiriting
- Drab
- Drag
- Drear
- Dreary
- Drudging
- Dry
- Dull
- Dull as dishwater
- Exhausting
- Fatiguing
- Flat
- Grey
- Hackneyed
- Heavy
- Ho-hum
- Humdrum
- Insipid
- Interminable
- Irksome
- Irritating
- Jading
- Jejune
- Lame
- Leaden
- Lifeless
- Long-winded
- Matter-of-fact
- Mind-numbing
- Monotonous
- Mundane
- Normal
- Nothing
- Old
- Ordinary
- Pedestrian
- Perforating
- Piercing
- Plain
- Ponderous
- Prolix
- Prosaic
- Punching
- Reaming
- Repetitious
- Repetitive
- Routine
- Run-of-the-mill
- Slow
- Soporific
- Spiritless
- Stale
- Stereotyped
- Stodgy
- Stuffy
- Stupid
- Tame
- Tedious
- Threadbare
- Tired
- Tiresome
- Tiring
- Trite
- Uneventful
- Unexciting
- Unimaginative
- Uninspired
- Uninspiring
- Uninteresting
- Unoriginal
- Unvaried
- Usual
- Vapid
- Verbose
- Wearing
- Wearisome
- Weary
- Wearying
- Wishy-washy
Boring Synonyms with Examples
Dull
- Example: The first half of the game was pretty dull.
Uneventful
- Example: Anna led a quiet, uneventful life.
Dry
- Example: Government reports tend to make dry reading.
Stale
- Example: Their marriage had gone stale.
Uninteresting
- Example: The food was dull and uninteresting.
Monotonous
- Example: He has a monotonous voice.
Mind-numbing
- Example: It’s a mind-numbing conversation.
Repetitive
- Example: Such a repetitive task!
Tedious
- Example: The journey soon became tedious.
Uninspiring
- Example: The view from the window was uninspiring.
Banal
- Example: This is a banal conversation about the weather.
Bland
- Example: This soup is too bland for me.
Mundane
- Example: I found the job very mundane.
Blah (slang)
- Example: This class is so blah.
Bore shitless
- Example: That book will bore you shitless.
Bunk
- Example: This party is bunk.
Beat
- For example: When we got to that party, it was beaten.
Another Word for Boring | Image
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Last Updated on January 11, 2021