Synonyms of bore

bore 1 of 3

verb (1)

ˈbȯr 

1

as in to drill

to make a hole or series of holes in

some woodpecker bored holes in our tree in the backyard

Synonyms & Similar Words

• drill
• pierce
• punch
• poke
• puncture
• hole
• perforate
• tap
• cut
• penetrate
• riddle
• prick
• hollow
• broach
• break
• gouge
• excavate
• split
• slit
• slash
• rupture
• groove
• prickle
• rend
• notch
• burrow (into)
• gash

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fill
• patch
• seal
• plug

2

as in to push

to force one's way

with some effort, she bored through the throng of yelling protestors

Synonyms & Similar Words

• push
• squeeze
• bull
• elbow
• shove
• muscle
• shoulder
• press
• thrust
• jam
• crash
• jostle
• bulldoze
• ram

bore

2 of 3

verb (2)

as in to weary

to make weary and restless by being dull or monotonous

the professor's lifeless and unimaginative teaching style bored the students to death

Synonyms & Similar Words

• weary
• tire
• drain
• wear
• exhaust
• discourage
• put to sleep
• jade
• pall
• burn out
• fatigue
• wear out
• debilitate
• enervate
• dishearten
• wash out
• enfeeble
• disable
• tucker (out)
• deject
• demoralize
• fag
• dispirit
• do in

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• busy
• engage
• interest
• grip
• absorb
• excite
• stimulate
• strengthen
• fascinate
• entertain
• amuse
• attract
• intrigue
• activate
• enliven
• animate
• energize
• galvanize
• invigorate
• charm
• engross
• occupy
• involve
• busy
• monopolize
• enthrall
• beguile
• captivate
• vitalize
• stir
• immerse
• rouse
• hypnotize
• bewitch
• enchant
• mesmerize
• preoccupy
• allure
• rally
• pump up

bore

3 of 3

noun

as in yawn

someone or something boring

for once, the graduation speaker wasn't a real bore

Synonyms & Similar Words

• yawn
• drip
• drag
• snooze
• yawner
• snoozer
• dullsville
• droner
• downer
• nudnik
• pill
• bromide
• bummer

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• blast
• rush
• gas
• upper
• kick

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of bore

Verb

Na studied crafts at university, working with wood, metal, dyes and ceramics, because flat, two-dimensional drawing had come to bore him. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026

Powerful cutters have whirred to life on a giant drill that will begin boring a new train tunnel under the Hudson River connecting Manhattan to New Jersey. — ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026

Noun

Its creators expected coding and debugging effort to fall to less than one-fifth, and early use bore that out. — Boris Kontsevoi, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2026

But as the late maximalist designer Iris Apfel was fond of saying, more is more, and less is a bore. — Benjamin Moser, Travel + Leisure, 8 Sep. 2026