mundane
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.boring because it is ordinary and happens every day.
adj.lacking interest or excitement; dull and routine.
Simple“He found the mundane tasks of cleaning and filing very tiring.”
In context“The novel focuses on the mundane details of daily life rather than grand adventures or dramatic plot twists.”
Antonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
adj.relating to the physical world rather than spiritual or heavenly things.
adj.relating to the earthly or material world as opposed to the spiritual or celestial realm.
Simple“The monk left his mundane life behind to live in the mountains.”
In context“The philosopher argued that we must balance our spiritual aspirations with our mundane responsibilities to society.”
- 03 C2 Proficiency
n.a person who is considered normal or boring by people in a special group.
n.a person who is not part of a particular subculture, often used in a critical or mocking way.
Simple“The fans at the convention joked about how the mundanes on the street were staring at their costumes.”
In context“Within the community, anyone who did not share their niche obsession was dismissed as a mere mundane.”
Usageoften used within science fiction or fantasy fan communities
Teacher's tipThis sense is highly specific to subcultures; learners should be aware it can sound elitist or insulting.
Synonymsoutsiderlayman
“It also seems to be without much of a plot, making the mundane bleakness of Sophie’s life even harder to stomach.”
“Instead, they point to something more mundane: they think that parents of young children simply have fewer face-to-face contacts with medical professionals than they did 10 or 15 years ago.”
From Middle English mondeyne, from Old French mondain, from Late Latin mundanus, from Latin mundus (“world”). Compare Danish mondæn.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.