as in boredom
the state of being bored
the kind of ennui that comes from having too much time on one's hands and too little will to find something productive to do
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Recent Examples of ennui
The film, despite grossing just under $5 million in the U.S. against a $9 million budget, later became a cult classic synonymous with the melancholic realization that teenage longing and ennui can extend into adulthood.
—
Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 21 May 2025
Everyone is thinking about his or her middle-aged ennui and the routines — ruts?
—Margaret Lyons, New York Times, 1 May 2025
Still, the ludicrously campy show is jaw-dropping in its commitment to delivering intensely dark, modern content to audiences grappling with the slippery ethics and general ennui of living in the 2020s.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 20 May 2025
And my too evident ennui and lack of lust for life on this cold and still dark early morning.
—New York Times Games, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ennui
Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 21 May 2025
Everyone is thinking about his or her middle-aged ennui and the routines — ruts?
—Margaret Lyons, New York Times, 1 May 2025
Still, the ludicrously campy show is jaw-dropping in its commitment to delivering intensely dark, modern content to audiences grappling with the slippery ethics and general ennui of living in the 2020s.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 20 May 2025
And my too evident ennui and lack of lust for life on this cold and still dark early morning.
—New York Times Games, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ennui
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ennui
boredom
Noun
-
As seen only in the episodes, the major arcs of this season of Love Island have been tedious to the point of boredom.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
9 July 2025
-
This can stem from boredom or a desire for stimulation, or even a territorial instinct to protect the dog's territory against intruders.—
Maria Morava,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ennui.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ennui. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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