boredom
B1Neutral to informal. Common in everyday speech, also used in academic and psychological contexts.
Definition
Meaning
The state of feeling bored; the condition of being weary and restless through lack of interest.
A psychological state characterized by low arousal, dissatisfaction, and a perceived lack of meaning or engagement in one's current activity or situation. Can also refer to the quality of being tedious or monotonous.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Boredom is an emotional/psychological state, not a temporary mood. It implies a duration. It is often caused by a lack of stimulation, challenge, or variety. It is distinct from simple tiredness (fatigue).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. Spelling is identical.
Connotations
Identical connotations in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally common in both BrE and AmE.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] + experience/feel/suffer from + boredomBoredom + verb (sets in/strikes/overcomes) + [Person][Activity/Event] + leads to/causes + boredom + in + [Person]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “bored out of one's mind”
- “bored stiff”
- “bored to tears”
- “bored to death”
- “dying of boredom”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used to describe employee disengagement or unstimulating tasks, e.g., 'The meeting was a lesson in corporate boredom.'
Academic
Used in psychology, education, and sociology to discuss the causes, effects, and types of boredom (e.g., situational vs. existential boredom).
Everyday
Very common to describe feelings about routine tasks, waiting, or uninteresting activities, e.g., 'I'm watching this out of pure boredom.'
Technical
In human-computer interaction or game design, refers to a user state indicating insufficient challenge or novelty.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The meeting bored everyone to distraction.
- He bores easily and needs constant novelty.
American English
- That lecture bored me stiff.
- Kids will bore quickly if the game is too simple.
adverb
British English
- He spoke boringly for over an hour.
- The day passed boringly slowly.
American English
- The presentation droned on boringly.
- Time ticked by boringly in the waiting room.
adjective
British English
- It was a boring film, I'm afraid.
- He has a very boring job in data entry.
American English
- This is a boring town with nothing to do.
- She found the conversation boring and excused herself.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The children said they were tired and had boredom.
- I watch TV when I have boredom.
- He left the party early out of sheer boredom.
- Long car journeys can lead to boredom for passengers.
- The repetitive nature of the task induced a state of profound boredom in the workers.
- Existential boredom, a feeling that life lacks meaning, is a theme in modern philosophy.
- The researcher posited that chronic boredom could be a precursor to risky behaviour in adolescents.
- The film brilliantly captured the stultifying boredom of suburban life in the 1950s.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a BORE drilling a DOME. The repetitive, monotonous sound of the drill inside the dome would cause great BOREDOM.
Conceptual Metaphor
BOREDOM IS A PRISON/CAGE ("trapped by boredom"), BOREDOM IS A HEAVY BURDEN ("weighed down by boredom"), BOREDOM IS A DISEASE ("suffering from boredom", "chronic boredom").
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid directly translating "скука" in all contexts, as "boredom" is more specific to a state of mind, while "скука" can imply melancholy or longing. "Тоска" is closer to profound sadness or yearning, not boredom.
- Do not use "boredom" to describe a boring *person*; that is "a bore". "Boredom" is the feeling.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'I have a boredom.' (Uncountable noun, no article) Correct: 'I have boredom.' / 'I am experiencing boredom.'
- Incorrect: 'He is a boredom.' (Confusing state with person) Correct: 'He is a bore.' / 'He causes boredom.'
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is NOT a strong collocation with 'boredom'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is almost always uncountable. You do not say 'a boredom' or 'boredoms'. You can say 'a feeling of boredom' or 'types of boredom' in academic contexts.
Boredom is an active state of dissatisfaction due to lack of interest. Apathy is a passive lack of interest, feeling, or concern. A bored person wants stimulation; an apathetic person may not care either way.
Rarely. It is almost exclusively negative. However, some creative or philosophical thought suggests that boredom can lead to introspection and creativity, e.g., 'embracing boredom'.
The adjective is 'bored' (for a person's state: 'I am bored') and 'boring' (for the thing causing the state: 'a boring film'). A common mistake is confusing these: 'I am boring' means you cause others to be bored!