bored

American  

[bawrd] / bɔrd /

adjective

1. wearied by dullness or sameness (often followed by with, of, orby ).

   This activity will keep bored children entertained on those long summer days.

   She's bored with the color of her room and has decided to paint it.

   I never seem to get bored of this game.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of bore.

Etymology

Origin of bored

First recorded in 1820–30; bore ¹ ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. ) for the adjective; bore ¹ ( def. ) + -ed ¹ ( def. ) for the verb

Explanation

When you are bored, nothing is engaging you. If you're on a long flight, you forgot your book, and there's no movie, you might become bored. The adjective bored comes from boredom, the state of being where nothing is interesting or exciting. If you only understand English, you'll probably get bored quickly listening to German talk radio. It's hard not to be bored by a six hour bus ride on a featureless interstate highway. If you are deeply, spiritually bored by the world, you are suffering from ennui — that's boredom in French!

Example Sentences

Bored out of their minds, they riff on customers and even play hockey to pass the time.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 29, 2025

Bored, she had already begun cooking Chinese food there on Tuesdays to serve the locals.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 26, 2025

Bored at a dinner party or work meeting but don’t want to come off as rude by pulling out your phone to scroll?

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 21, 2025

More than 20 people reported burning eye pain after a Bored Ape Yacht Club party in Hong Kong.

From New York Times • Nov. 10, 2023

Bored with this, he reaches across the table to take the lid off a huge silver platter.

From "Where Things Come Back" by John Corey Whaley

Related Words

• disinterested
• fatigued
• tired