monotony •\mə-ˈnä-tə-ne, -ˈnät-ne\• noun 1. constancy of tone or pitch or inflection 2. the quality of wearisome constancy, routine, and lack of variety The word monotony has appeared in 71 New York Times articles in the past year, including on May 26 in "Varied Duties, and Many Facets, in a Guard's Life" by David Wallis: Museum guards find the lost, shepherd the confused and save runaway toddlers from impending collisions with immovable sculptures. The job demands long hours, constant vigilance and a reservoir of patience to put up with illicit picture takers, soda smugglers and pontificating amateur art critics, among other annoyances. Consider these guards the army grunts of the art world. ... If you notice a guard at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis suddenly balancing on one foot or striking a yoga pose, it's probably just Todd Balthazor limbering up. "I'm stretching all the time," he said. You have to do that, or else you are going to stiffen up. We have some elderly workers, and they just walk like trees. Even when the galleries are packed, Mr. Balthazor, 31, admits to struggling on occasion against monotony. To stay sharp, he developed tricks like memorizing a guest's outfit or holding his breath "until you almost black out." He also keeps an eye out for material for his autobiographical comic strip, which the museum publishes online. Learn more about the word "monotony" and see usage examples across a range of subjects on the Vocabulary dictionary.