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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Soon enough, once a candidate has entered the race, boredom sets in and the speculation and desire for someone fresh and different starts anew.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
7 Jan. 2026
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Here’s to boredom, to wrong turns, to fruitful friction.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The numbers should shake the lethargy off the stock.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
8 Jan. 2026
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Cereulide, the toxin found in the formula products, is produced by some strains of Bacillus cereus and can cause food poisoning symptoms, including severe or persistent vomiting, diarrhea, or unusual lethargy.—
Michele Laufik,
Martha Stewart,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Spotlight The Welcome Demise of Climate Change Catastrophism Is the American Left finally waking up from its decades-long climate catastrophism stupor?—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Dec. 2025
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Binging the best Thanksgiving episodes in a post-meal stupor is one way to cope with a less-than-lovely holiday.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hebetude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hebetude. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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