tediousness

Etymology

From Middle English tediosenes, tediousenesse, tediousnesse, tedusnes, teduysnes, tedyousnes; equivalent to tedious +‎ -ness.

Pronunciation

This entry needs pronunciation information. If you are familiar with the IPA or enPR then please add some!

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Noun

tediousness (usually uncountable, plural tediousnesses)

1. The quality of being tedious; tedium.
   • c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii]:

     [B]revity is the soul of wit,
     And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes[.]

   • 1838 (date written), L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter VII, in Lady Anne Granard; or, Keeping up Appearances. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], published 1842, →OCLC, page 95:

     I am the worst person in the world for formal dinners, but I shall be thankful to have a resting-place whereon to bestow my tediousness in an evening.

References

• “tediousness”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• outsideness