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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
-
But parents from years past had fewer regulations, so kids were able to experience boredom, befriend kids their parents were unfamiliar with, and rebel in small ways outside of their parents purview (like stealing from Claire's or putting on layers of Nars blush in the 7th grade).—
Annabelle Canela,
Parents,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Dopamine loops from social media, games, and constant notifications have reduced their tolerance for boredom, focus and real-world interaction.—
Elan Gepner-Dales,
Rolling Stone,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
According to the American Cancer Society, common symptoms of Hodgkin Lymphoma include swollen lymph nodes, which can cause pain when drinking, fever, night sweats and feelings of lethargy.—
Meredith Wilshere,
People.com,
23 Aug. 2025
-
Symptoms may include vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, decrease in appetite, bloody stool, lethargy or licking their lips.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
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 7 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share