as in boredom
physical or mental inertness
faced with a class forever enveloped in a miasma of apathy and intellectual hebetude, the professor had little hope of kindling an interest in medieval European history
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Recent Examples of hebetude
The leaden weight of an irremediable idleness descended upon General Feraud, who having no resources within himself sank into a state of awe-inspiring hebetude.
—
Ruth Walker, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Sep. 2017
Ruth Walker, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Sep. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hebetude
Noun
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The movement feels like a miracle drug for boredom, a long time coming for even baseball’s most traditional fan base.—
Candace Buckner,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
-
There is boredom, and annoyance with this passive, oblivious little girl.—
Deborah Treisman,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
The symptoms of a magnesium deficiency include fatigue, lethargy, nausea, loss of appetite, and muscle weakness.—
Maggie O'Neill,
Verywell Health,
2 June 2026
-
Bluebell poisoning impacts a dog’s heart and causes symptoms like stomach pain, diarrhea, drooling, trembling, lowered heart rate, vomiting and lethargy.—
Amy DeYoung,
USA Today,
28 May 2026
Noun
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But now, the Outback appears to be out of its stupor.—
Byron Hurd,
The Drive,
4 June 2026
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Their apps seem clearly designed, much like TikTok and Candy Crush, to keep users scrolling and tapping in a hypnotic stupor.—
McKay Coppins,
The Atlantic,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hebetude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hebetude. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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