bored

bored — adjective

1. feeling tired and uninterested when an activity, place, or conversation does not

1.adjectiveA1
Definition

feeling tired and uninterested when an activity, place, or conversation does not keep your attention, or showing that feeling.

Example

Priya looked bored during the long bus ride to Taichung.

look + bored for a visible feeling

By three o'clock, the children were bored with the rainy afternoon indoors.

be bored with + ongoing situation

Common collocations
  • look bored
  • get bored easily
  • bored with school
  • bored by the speech
Synonyms
  • uninterested

    more neutral; it can mean simple lack of interest without impatience

  • fed up

    stronger and more annoyed, often after too much of something

  • restless

    focuses on wanting to move or do something, not just lack of interest

Antonyms
  • interested

    giving attention because something matters to you

  • engaged

    more active and focused than simply interested

Grammar Patterns

be bored with + noun

be bored by + noun

look bored

Usage Note

Distinguish from 'boring': people and animals feel bored, but a film, class, or speech is boring. 'Bored with' is especially common for something that goes on for some time, while 'bored by' points more directly to the cause.

Common Mistakes

I am boring in math class.
I am bored in math class.
'bored' describes the feeling; 'boring' describes the thing that causes it.
The boys were bored from the speech.
The boys were bored by the speech.
this adjective normally takes 'by' or 'with', not 'from'.
Idioms

be scared/bored witless

idiom

To be extremely frightened or bored.

During the long lecture, the students were bored witless.

When the lights went out, little Maya was scared witless.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

'Bored' is the everyday word for feeling that something is not holding your attention. 'Uninterested' is flatter and more neutral; someone can be uninterested without feeling annoyed. 'Fed up' is stronger and adds irritation, usually after too much repetition or delay. 'Restless' often comes with movement: a bored child may start kicking a chair or walking around. 'Apathetic' is more serious and lasting, suggesting that someone does not care much at all, not just in one dull moment. Compare: 'The class looked bored after lunch', 'Nadia seemed uninterested in football', and 'We were fed up with the endless meeting by noon.'

bored ↗uninterestedfed uprestless ↗apathetic ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • bored face
  • bored expression
  • bored stare

Adverbs

  • easily bored
  • visibly bored
  • completely bored
  • quickly bored

Phrases

  • get bored easily
  • look bored
  • grow bored
  • sound bored

Prepositions

  • bored with
  • bored by

Etymology

English

'Bored' is the adjective formed from the verb 'bore' in the sense 'make someone feel tired and uninterested'. That meaning of the verb grew in English in the 1700s, probably from the noun 'bore' for a dull or tiring person. The older verb 'bore' meaning 'make a hole' is a different word. English later used 'bored' for the feeling and 'boring' for the thing that causes it.