View synonyms for ennui

ennui

[ ahn-wee, ahn-wee; French ahn-nwee ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a feeling of utter weariness and discontent resulting from satiety or lack of interest; boredom:
The endless lecture produced an unbearable ennui.
Synonyms: listlessness, languor, lassitude, tedium

ennui

/ ˈɒnwiː; ɑ̃nɥi /

a feeling of listlessness and general dissatisfaction resulting from lack of activity or excitement

Origin of ennui¹

First recorded in 1660–70; from French: “boredom”; Old French a(n)nui, enui “displeasure”; annoy

Origin of ennui¹

C18: from French: apathy, from Old French enui annoyance, vexation; see annoy

Consumed and eventually disgorged, Pierre is restored to his loving parents, his ennui banished.

The Great American Novel became more concerned with sexual shenanigans and suburban ennui, or rehashing World War II.

Even with all her comforts and a constant, tugging ennui, Mei knows the risks that she faces as an ernai.

The shenanigans of Intimacy will shake any jaded theater fan from nudity ennui.

Gabe tried to kick his postmodern, adolescent sense of ennui (a “lame” feeling) through members of the opposite sex (“dames”).

It was not a condition of life which fitted her, and she could see in it but an appalling and hopeless ennui.

It combats ennui, lassitude, and intolerable vacuity, soothing the nerves and diverting attention from self.

The sight of them not only fills me with ennui, but I have no intention of presenting your comic papers with material.

She's handsome yet, but her muscles are getting that loose look and her eyes are bottomless pits of ennui.

Ennui is a word one hears constantly; if it rains toute le monde est triste.

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