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boredom

American  
[bawr-duhm] / ˈbɔr dəm /

noun

  1. the state of being bored; the feeling of being wearied by dullness, tedious repetition, etc.

    Synonyms:
    ennui, tedium, weariness, doldrums, dullness
    Antonyms:
    amusement, diversion, excitement
boredom British  
/ ˈbɔːdəm /

noun

  1. the state of being bored; tedium

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of boredom

First recorded in 1850–55; bore 1 + -dom

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Ms. Arquette does a wobbly Irish accent for some reason, possibly sheer boredom.

From The Wall Street Journal

Phones and tablets have provided people of all ages with an ever-present source of entertainment, but Jane says that both adults and children could benefit from embracing boredom a bit more.

From BBC

But its humor is rooted in that hazy 1970s sense of drift, when boredom and isolation start to blur together and nothing feels especially urgent, even when it probably should.

From Los Angeles Times

Then a prison boredom—which I soon learned to fear above all else— settled over the cell.

From Literature

Finally I realize that the boredom is too much and he is falling asleep while running.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.