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
Everyone is thinking about his or her middle-aged ennui and the routines — ruts?
—
Margaret Lyons, New York Times, 1 May 2025
Still, the ludicrously campy show is jaw-dropping in its commitment to delivering intensely dark, modern content to audiences grappling with the slippery ethics and general ennui of living in the 2020s.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 20 May 2025
And my too evident ennui and lack of lust for life on this cold and still dark early morning.
—New York Times Games, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2025
Economists also worry about signs of flagging consumer confidence, because ennui can prompt consumers to stop spending.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ennui
Margaret Lyons, New York Times, 1 May 2025
Still, the ludicrously campy show is jaw-dropping in its commitment to delivering intensely dark, modern content to audiences grappling with the slippery ethics and general ennui of living in the 2020s.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 20 May 2025
And my too evident ennui and lack of lust for life on this cold and still dark early morning.
—New York Times Games, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2025
Economists also worry about signs of flagging consumer confidence, because ennui can prompt consumers to stop spending.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ennui
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ennui
boredom
Noun
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Many animal behaviorists also warn the practice fails to address the root cause of excessive barking—often anxiety, boredom, or inadequate training.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 June 2025
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Factor 2: Antisocial behavior (e.g., deviance from an early age, aggression, impulsivity, irresponsibility, proneness to boredom).—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
26 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ennui.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ennui. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.
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