boredom

boredom — noun

1. the feeling you get when nothing seems interesting or worth doing, and time star

1.nounB1
Definition

the feeling you get when nothing seems interesting or worth doing, and time starts to pass very slowly.

Example

During the power cut, boredom spread through the apartment by nine o'clock.

boredom spread through + place/group

Mina fought her boredom by drawing cats on the paper table mat.

fight boredom by + -ing

Common collocations
  • die of boredom
  • fight boredom
  • escape boredom
  • boredom spread
  • show boredom
Synonyms
  • tedium

    more formal; stresses tiring dullness over time

  • monotony

    focuses on sameness and repeated routine

  • restlessness

    focuses on not being able to stay still, not just lack of interest

  • ennui

    literary and more sophisticated; often suggests dissatisfaction as well as boredom

Antonyms
  • interest

    attention and curiosity about something

  • excitement

    a lively, eager feeling rather than dullness

  • enjoyment

    pleasure taken in an activity or experience

Grammar Patterns

feel boredom

boredom with + noun

escape boredom

Usage Note

Usually uncountable. Common verbs with it are feel, fight, ease, and escape, and it often appears when you describe a dull period rather than a single short reaction.

Common Mistakes

I am boredom at home.
I am bored at home.
boredom is a noun; after 'be', use the adjective 'bored'.
The children had many boredoms on the trip.
The children felt a lot of boredom on the trip.
boredom is usually uncountable, so it is not normally used in the plural.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Boredom' is the normal everyday word for the feeling that nothing around you is holding your attention. 'Tedium' is more formal and often suggests that something feels long, slow, and tiring. 'Monotony' points more to repeated sameness, such as doing the same office task every day. 'Restlessness' is related, but it stresses the physical wish to move or do something different. 'Ennui' is literary and more sophisticated; it can suggest not only boredom but also a deeper sense of dissatisfaction. Compare: 'The children's boredom grew during the long train delay,' but 'The monotony of factory work wore him down.'

boredom ↗tediummonotonyrestlessnessennui

Common collocations

Nouns

  • boredom in class
  • boredom among children

Adverbs

  • deep boredom
  • sheer boredom

Phrases

  • die of boredom
  • fight boredom
  • escape boredom
  • out of boredom

Prepositions

  • boredom with
  • from boredom

Etymology

English

'Boredom' was built in English from 'bore' and the noun-forming ending '-dom'. The family first developed around 'bore' meaning a dull person, and then the verb meaning to make someone lose interest. 'Boredom' was later formed to name that feeling or condition. It is not related to the older verb 'bore' meaning to make a hole.