つまらない・詰らない・詰まらないtsumaranai

1. i-adjectivedull; uninteresting; boring; tedious
   あの新あたらしい映画えいがは、つまらんかった。↗

   That new movie was a bummer.
2. i-adjectiveinsignificant; unimportant; trifling; trivial; worthless
   あの男おとこはよくつまらぬことで誰だれにでも因縁いんねんをつける。↗

   He often uses the slightest thing as a pretext for a fight with anybody.
3. i-adjectiveabsurd; foolish; silly; stupid
4. i-adjectiveuseless; pointless; disappointing

• SynonymくだらないCasualColloquial. Suggests something absurd and beneath notice, with a dismissive tone, as in 「くだらない冗談」. 「つまらない」 centers on dullness but can also mean trivial.
• Synonym馬鹿らしいばからしいCasualColloquial. Describes something so foolish and laughable that it is not worth taking seriously, as in 「馬鹿らしくてやってられない」. Stresses absurdity rather than dullness.
• SynonymばかばかしいCasualColloquial. Utterly absurd and worthless; stronger than 「馬鹿らしい」. 「つまらない」 stresses tedium instead.
• Synonym取るに足りないとるにたりないWrittenWritten set phrase for something too insignificant to mention, as in 「取るに足りない問題」. Covers only the trivial sense of 「つまらない」, not the dull one.
• Related安っぽいやすっぽいCasualColloquial. Looks cheap and tacky, as in 「安っぽい服」, and can also describe a person of low character. About shoddy quality rather than dullness.
• RelatedたわいないNeutralNeutral. Childish or inconsequential, or easily beaten, as in 「他愛ない話」. It lacks the deflating, mood-dampening feel of 「つまらない」.
• Related甲斐無いかいないWrittenWritten and rather old-fashioned: effort is wasted and nothing comes of it. Stresses futility, while 「つまらない」 stresses dullness and being not worth mentioning.
• Related無意義むいぎWrittenWritten. Means meaningless, as in 「無意義な議論」. Covers only the worthless sense of 「つまらない」.
• Related益体もないやくたいもないCasualColloquial and dated slang for utterly useless or disgraceful. In daily speech 「くだらない」 or 「しょうもない」 is more common.
• RelatedしょうもないCasualColloquial. Dull and worthless, as in 「しょうもない話」; especially common in the Kansai region. Can also mean hopeless or beyond saving.
• RelatedトリビアルWrittenWritten loanword for trivial details or the self-evident, mostly in academic and technical contexts. In daily speech use 「つまらない」 or 「些細」.
• Antonym面白いおもしろいNeutralNeutral. Interesting or funny, as in 「面白い話」; the direct opposite of dull 「つまらない」.
• Antonym楽しいたのしいNeutralNeutral. Happy and enjoyable, focusing on one's own feelings; it opposes 「つまらない」 when that means finding something boring.
• Antonym興味深いきょうみぶかいWrittenWritten. Very interesting and thought-provoking; the opposite of the tedious sense of 「つまらない」.

For something dull or boring, 「つまらない」 is the default. For absurd, worthless things use 「くだらない」 or 「馬鹿らしい」; for something too trivial to matter, 「取るに足りない」; for something interesting, 「面白い」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 心こころに感動かんどうをもたらさない。面白おもしろみにかける。退屈たいくつである。また、十分じゅうぶん満足まんぞくせず興きょうざめである。
2. くだらない。しょうもない。大たいしたことのない。取とるに足たらない。
3. 甲斐かいがない。無益むえきだ。ばかばかしい。