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

The machinery that collapsed was a drill rig, which was boring holes for the pilings to support the weight of the supertall skyscraper that will go up on the site. — Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2026

Scott Schaunaman, a Kansas City, Kansas, Fire Department spokesperson, said the contractor accidentally bored into a six-inch, high-pressure gas line from 150 feet away, blowing open a portion of 10th Street. — Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 14 Sep. 2026

Noun

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

Caldecott Tunnel was first opened in 1937 with two bores containing two lanes each going opposite directions. — Sierra Lopez, Mercury News, 3 Sep. 2026