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.
PARIS—This time last summer, Tadej Pogacar was overcome by ennui.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Praised for: A consistently surprising portrait of suburban ennui.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
This is where body horror comes in to turn our fear of mortality, or perhaps just ennui, into something, well, horrific.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 7, 2025
Thematically, these albums especially feel timeless, covering the ups and downs of adulthood: ennui and uncertainty, deep longing and the exhilaration of being young.
From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2024
Orange groves, failed movie stars, lamplit cocktail hours by the swimming pool, cigarettes, ennui.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
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.
