This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
bore
1[ bawr ]
/ bɔr /
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
verb (used with object), bored, bor·ing.
to weary by dullness, tedious repetition, unwelcome attentions, etc.: The long speech bored me.
noun
a dull, tiresome, or uncongenial person.
a cause of ennui or petty annoyance: repetitious tasks that are a bore to do.
QUIZ
ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?
We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.
Question 1 of 8
Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?
Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing
Origin of bore
1First recorded in 1760–70; of uncertain origin
Words nearby bore
Border terrier, Bordet, Bordetella, Bordet-Gengou bacillus, bordure, bore, boreal, Boreas, borecole, bored, boredom
Other definitions for bore (2 of 4)
bore2
[ bawr, bohr ]
/ bɔr, boʊr /
verb (used with object), bored, bor·ing.
verb (used without object), bored, bor·ing.
noun
a hole made or enlarged by boring.
the inside diameter of a hole, tube, or hollow cylindrical object or device, such as a bushing or bearing, engine cylinder, or barrel of a gun.
Origin of bore
2First recorded before 900; Middle English bor(i)en, Old English borian; cognate with Old High German borōn, German bohren, Old Norse bora, Latin forāre
OTHER WORDS FROM bore
bore·a·ble, bor·a·ble, adjectiveOther definitions for bore (3 of 4)
bore3
[ bawr, bohr ]
/ bɔr, boʊr /
noun
an abrupt rise of tidal water moving rapidly inland from the mouth of an estuary.
Also called tidal bore .
Origin of bore
3First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English bare “a wave, billow,” from Old Norse bāra
Other definitions for bore (4 of 4)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
How to use bore in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for bore (1 of 4)
bore1
/ (bɔː) /
verb
noun
Word Origin for bore
Old English borian; related to Old Norse bora, Old High German borōn to bore, Latin forāre to pierce, Greek pharos ploughing, phárunx pharynx
British Dictionary definitions for bore (2 of 4)
bore2
/ (bɔː) /
verb
(tr) to tire or make weary by being dull, repetitious, or uninteresting
noun
a dull, repetitious, or uninteresting person, activity, or state
Derived forms of bore
bored, adjectiveWord Origin for bore
C18: of unknown origin
British Dictionary definitions for bore (3 of 4)
bore3
/ (bɔː) /
noun
a high steep-fronted wave moving up a narrow estuary, caused by the tide
Word Origin for bore
C17: from Old Norse bāra wave, billow
British Dictionary definitions for bore (4 of 4)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for bore
bore
[ bôr ]
In fluid mechanics, a jump in the level of moving water, generally propagating in the opposite direction to the current. Strong ocean tides can cause bores to propagate up rivers.
- The white, shallow portion of a wave after it breaks. The bore carries ocean water onto the beach.
- A tidal wave caused by the surge of a flood tide upstream in a narrowing estuary or by colliding tidal currents.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.