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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However, without enough structured activity, the breed can become restless and turn to destructive behaviors out of boredom.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 July 2025
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For some, the stakes are high; for others, this is content to be consumed in a moment of boredom.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
30 July 2025
Noun
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People experiencing more severe infections may also suffer high fever, aches, headaches, lethargy, rashes and blood in their urine.—
Matthew Robinson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Aug. 2025
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Foods high in the amino acid tryptophan (like milk, turkey, chicken, lobster, and certain types of nuts) can also increase lethargy, according to Dr. Ganjhu.—
Caroline Tien,
SELF,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Ozzy canceled shows, or performed in a stupor, and sometimes attacked his bandmates.—
Scott Simon,
NPR,
26 July 2025
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Symptoms of the more serious illness include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis, according to the CDC.—
Madeline Heim,
jsonline.com,
28 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hebetude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hebetude. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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