Synonyms of ennui

ennui

noun

ˌän-ˈwē 

as in boredom

the state of being bored

the kind of ennui that comes from having too much time on one's hands and too little will to find something productive to do

Synonyms & Similar Words

• boredom
• restlessness
• tedium
• weariness
• melancholy
• blahs
• listlessness
• doldrums
• lethargy
• dullness
• indifference
• joylessness
• monotony
• lassitude
• languor
• cheerlessness
• torpidity
• torpor
• apathy
• lifelessness
• languidness
• unconcern
• sameness
• dispiritedness
• monotonousness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fascination
• absorption
• enchantment
• involvement
• excitement
• immersion
• engagement
• stimulation
• engrossment
• captivation
• bewitchment
• amusement
• animation
• beguilement
• relief
• entertainment
• invigoration
• diversion
• enlivenment

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of ennui

Ellis was the enfant terrible of the ’80s and ’90s literary scene, earning a following with novels about disaffected teens and 20-somethings mixed up in drugs, ennui, and gang rapes. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2026

The general ennui continued, with Jackie Young and Bueckers getting shots up during replay reviews and timeouts in the third quarter. — Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 26 July 2026

Before there was The Office—British or American—there was Office Space, Mike Judge’s razor-sharp satire of middle-American corporate ennui. — Air Mail, 4 July 2026

At first Zeke seems the very embodiment of older generations’ complaints about GenZ ennui, but Rice isn’t taking cheap shots — not least since since his elders-but-not-wisers get no more flattering a portrait once George (Camp) enters the scene. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 19 June 2026

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