Emotions / B1

BORD-uh-m/ˈbɔːdəm/

Boredom is the uncountable feeling of being bored: die of boredom; boredom in the waiting room. Bored is the adjective for the person; boring describes the thing. Do not write “a boredom” or “boredoms”. Tedium is a formal twin. Do not confuse boredom with boarding (planes/schools).

Meaning

The feeling of being bored (uncountable).

Examples

• “Boredom in the waiting room made the delay feel longer.”
• “Boredom in the four-hour delay made small arguments more likely.”
• “The lecture’s repetition produced boredom, not extra learning.”

Good to know

Uncountable: boredom. Person: bored. Thing: boring. Mix-up: boarding. Formal: tedium. Not “a boredom”.

Near in meaning

tedium

Topics

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