Synonyms of bores

bores 1 of 3

noun

plural of bore

as in yawns

someone or something boring

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• yawns
• drips
• drags
• snoozers
• yawners
• droners
• nudniks
• snoozes
• dullsvilles
• downers
• bromides
• pills
• bummers

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• gases
• blasts
• rushes
• kicks
• uppers

bores

2 of 3

verb (1)

present tense third-person singular of bore

1

as in drills

to make a hole or series of holes in

some woodpecker bored holes in our tree in the backyard

Synonyms & Similar Words

• drills
• pierces
• holes
• punches
• punctures
• pokes
• perforates
• taps
• riddles
• penetrates
• cuts
• pricks
• broaches
• grooves
• breaks
• excavates
• splits
• slits
• hollows
• gouges
• notches
• ruptures
• rends
• burrows (into)
• prickles
• slashes
• gashes

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fills
• seals
• plugs
• patches

2

as in pushes

to force one's way

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pushes
• squeezes
• elbows
• jams
• bulls
• muscles
• shoulders
• presses
• shoves
• crashes
• jostles
• bulldozes
• thrusts
• rams

bores

3 of 3

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of bore

as in wearies

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

• wearies
• tires
• drains
• exhausts
• wears
• discourages
• palls
• jades
• puts to sleep
• fatigues
• burns out
• debilitates
• enervates
• wears out
• enfeebles
• disheartens
• fags
• disables
• demoralizes
• washes out
• dispirits
• dejects
• tuckers (out)
• does in

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• interests
• engages
• fascinates
• excites
• intrigues
• stimulates
• grips
• absorbs
• energizes
• amuses
• engrosses
• animates
• enlivens
• activates
• entertains
• invigorates
• attracts
• strengthens
• captivates
• enthralls
• busies
• galvanizes
• charms
• beguiles
• occupies
• vitalizes
• monopolizes
• enchants
• involves
• preoccupies
• hypnotizes
• stirs
• mesmerizes
• immerses
• rouses
• bewitches
• allures
• rallies
• busies
• pumps up

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of bores

Noun

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

Some resorts in the Mamanuca Islands are set to lose entire wings to the sea in the coming years, and drinking water in villages is already being infiltrated by salt from seawater seeping into ground bores. — Michelle Duff, HollywoodReporter, 27 Apr. 2026

Her books were their progeny, Stein acknowledged, and without Alice’s mothering—and typing, proofreading, cooking, sewing, shopping, bookkeeping, and warding off bores—they might not have been born. — Judith Thurman, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025

Anyone who thinks English Heritage sites are run by bores is in for a surprise. — Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Sep. 2025

The researchers plan to expand their study to a larger number of boreholes, including water bores, to understand the full scope of the issue better nd find more opportunities to reduce emissions. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2025

The times for the day’s bores are listed outside the visitor center, but on this mid-September day, birds began flocking around the banks of the Salmon River, announcing the bore’s arrival. — Melanie Stetson Freeman, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Feb. 2025

Verb

As its name suggests, the beetle bores into trees, drilling tunnels to create breeding galleries. — Jack Bantock, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026

The caterpillar bores into the stem through a tiny hole and tunnels inside the plant destroying tissue. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 17 June 2026

For instance, if a textbook bores you, try watching a documentary! — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 6 Mar. 2026

The invasive beetle bores into wood and kills ash trees by eating tissues under the bark. — Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 23 Jan. 2026

But the patient, grinding work of peace implementation typically bores him. — Bobby Ghosh, Time, 14 Oct. 2025

In the film, one glowing maggot scores an oversized moth, wraps it up, then bores through its eye before eating its living brain. — Ann Patchett, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025