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

That can win elections, especially when voters are comfortable or bored.

From Salon • Jun. 8, 2026

When he got bored of the personal minibar at his suite, he and his fellow first-class passengers could walk a few feet to the onboard bar.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 5, 2026

Most of the agents had on tactical gear and had their faces covered and stood with the bored posture of men waiting out a shift of watching over protesters with bullhorns.

From Slate • May 29, 2026

Some of my friends, retired from impressive careers, now find themselves bored or underoccupied.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026

Anyway, I thought I would get bored reading so much about you, but once I started, I couldn’t stop.

From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga

Related Words

• disinterested
• fatigued
• tired