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
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Recent Examples of ennui
But that doesn’t mean mathematicians would be crippled with ennui, Litt says.
—
Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 16 Mar. 2026
Left cold by the grand museums of Paris, Rothko yearned for art that might transcend his sense of institutional ennui.
—Tobias Grey, Air Mail, 14 Mar. 2026
There’s a little speed-thrills ennui among Dolphins fans after the previous era.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2026
But with LeBron James finally showing his age, and in no position to say no to someone like Dončić, the Lakers have gone all-in on the kid from Ljubljana, and the ennui that’s surrounding the team is palpable even in Northern California.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ennui
Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 16 Mar. 2026
Left cold by the grand museums of Paris, Rothko yearned for art that might transcend his sense of institutional ennui.
—Tobias Grey, Air Mail, 14 Mar. 2026
There’s a little speed-thrills ennui among Dolphins fans after the previous era.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2026
But with LeBron James finally showing his age, and in no position to say no to someone like Dončić, the Lakers have gone all-in on the kid from Ljubljana, and the ennui that’s surrounding the team is palpable even in Northern California.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ennui
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ennui
boredom
Noun
-
Italian nonne stirred pots full of sauce with a look of utter boredom and, here and there, Neapolitan ragazzi sat atop their motorini and gawped at the torture.—
Douglas Stuart,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
-
In some cases, however, there’s more to a creeping sense of boredom than just stability.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ennui.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ennui. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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