Skip to content

monotone

monotonous

adjective moh-noh-TON Rare

Usage Note

Monotone describes a sound, voice, or activity that is tediously uniform and lacks variation. It is invariable in gender (une voix monotone / un rythme monotone). The noun monotonie ('monotony') is the related abstract. Learners will recognise the direct parallel with English 'monotonous', though the French adjective ends in -tone, not -tonous.

Examples

"Sa voix monotone endormait tout le monde."

Natural Translation

His monotonous voice was putting everyone to sleep.

Free starter pack

Building your French vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common French words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Explore French by topic