ennui
Americannoun
noun
Usage
What does ennui mean? Put simply, ennui is a French word that describes feelings associated with boredom.
Etymology
Origin of ennui
First recorded in 1660–70; from French: “boredom”; Old French a(n)nui, enui “displeasure”; see annoy
Explanation
The French word ennui describes a feeling that combines tiredness and boredom. Ennui is one version of "the blahs." Though it sounds a little fancy — maybe because it comes from French — ennui is a common feeling that everybody experiences: being bored and tired. School and work fill lots of people with ennui. A terrible TV show could create ennui. If you feel like your life is going nowhere, ennui could set in. When you're feeling ennui, you might as well take a nap, because you're too drowsy and uninterested to do much of anything else.
Vocabulary lists containing ennui
"The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell
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100 Words to Make You Sound Smart
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Frankenstein
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
There’s Embarrassment, a lumbering fellow who unsuccessfully attempts to hide in his hoodie; the noodle-like Ennui, who lounges listlessly on a couch; and Envy, with her wide, longing eyes.
From New York Times • Jun. 14, 2024
"Ennui might be a learned helplessness in response to boredom or failure to deal with boredom," Danckert said, "but it's not boredom."
From Salon • Dec. 5, 2021
Ennui and tropical torpor figure in many Buffett songs.
From Washington Times • Aug. 26, 2020
The “Puppet Time” ensemble includes a self-strumming ukulele, an otter suited up for a space launch, and an anthropomorphic loaf of existentialist French bread named Ennui Le Triste.
From The New Yorker • Sep. 5, 2018
You know I am no favourite, and Ennui is a great one.
From The Dramatist; or Stop Him Who Can! A Comedy, in Five Acts by Reynolds, Frederick
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
