ennui

American  

[ahn-wee, ahn-wee, ahn-nwee] / ɑnˈwi, ˈɑn wi, ɑ̃ˈnwi /

noun

1. a feeling of utter weariness and discontent resulting from satiety or lack of interest; boredom.

   The endless lecture produced an unbearable ennui.

   Synonyms:

   languor, lassitude, tedium, listlessness

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ennui British  

/ ˈɒnwiː, ɑ̃nɥi /

noun

1. a feeling of listlessness and general dissatisfaction resulting from lack of activity or excitement

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Usage

What does ennui mean? Put simply, ennui is a French word that describes feelings associated with boredom.

Etymology

Origin of ennui

First recorded in 1660–70; from French: “boredom”; Old French a(n)nui, enui “displeasure”; see annoy

Explanation

The French word ennui describes a feeling that combines tiredness and boredom. Ennui is one version of "the blahs." Though it sounds a little fancy — maybe because it comes from French — ennui is a common feeling that everybody experiences: being bored and tired. School and work fill lots of people with ennui. A terrible TV show could create ennui. If you feel like your life is going nowhere, ennui could set in. When you're feeling ennui, you might as well take a nap, because you're too drowsy and uninterested to do much of anything else.

Example Sentences

Best known for “The Book of Disquiet,” a fragmented masterpiece of urban ennui, the bulk of Pessoa’s literary output wasn’t discovered until after his death in 1935 at age 47.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 30, 2026

Mr. Simon’s record was also one of the first to grasp the mid-’70s ennui of a generation fenced in by marital responsibilities and yearning for its earlier, wilder self.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 27, 2025

He has not been in front of us and that absence has led to the sense of ennui among the opposition.

From Salon • Dec. 9, 2024

This is not about identity politics but ennui: Even minuscule choices, like what socks to wear, are part of a larger cultural self-definition and viral conversation.

From Slate • Aug. 3, 2024

Oh, the Test matches that have saved us from ennui, the boxing bouts, even the billiard scores.

From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier

Related Words

• apathy
• languor
• melancholy
• sadness
• tedium
• weariness