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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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
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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
Noun
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Individuals experiencing more severe infections may experience high fever, aches, headaches, lethargy, rashes, and blood in urine.—
Matthew Robinson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 July 2025
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At its best, though, White Zombie turns its lethargy into something akin to a surreal dream whose nightmarish qualities are slow but undeniable and inescapable.—
James Grebey,
Time,
20 June 2025
Noun
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Raúl Jiménez brought the crowd out of its stupor less than two minutes into the second half, chasing a through ball from Santiago Giménez into the penalty area, then finishing with his right foot from the edge of the six-yard box to double the lead.—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2025
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The soup throwers and activists blindfolding statues hope to wake us from our climate stupor.—
Marianne Krasny,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hebetude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hebetude. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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