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 children of this era would go on to lead the next affective era in the form of the 1960s—which in many ways were a fight against this boredom, a call to reclaim the excitement of communalism, of revolution, of queerness and chaos.—
P.E. Moskowitz
September 11,
Literary Hub,
11 Sep. 2025
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Your kid might not otherwise disclose these issues—but framing them around boredom (which is easier to talk about than, say, loneliness) can let you in on what's really going on in their day.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Although signs of illness are uncommon, some cats may develop fever, loss of appetite or lethargy.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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There can also be severe neurological changes, such as confusion or lethargy.—
Julie Scott,
Verywell Health,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The director does get solid performances out of his French and Italian cast, with the engaging Ronchi (Marco Bellocchio’s Sweet Dreams) playing a softspoken woman who seems to be in some kind of permanent stupor until her confessions bring her back to life.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Sep. 2025
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The same corporate event planners who used to book futurists with hologram slide decks are now on the hunt for celebrity performers who can yank an audience out of its AI stupor for ten electrifying minutes.—
Seth Yudof,
Rolling Stone,
28 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hebetude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hebetude. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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