noun
ennui
ahn-WEE/ɑːnˈwiː/
Boredom and dissatisfaction caused by a lack of interest.
The bored man ignores his hobbies in a mood of ennui.
Etymology
Old French enui meant annoyance, and the same word also lies behind English annoy. In ennui, that unpleasant feeling takes the form of weary boredom and dissatisfaction rather than active irritation.
In context
I just felt a little bit aimless and a little bit joyless. Eventually, I remembered there's a name for that feeling: languishing. Languishing as a sense of emptiness, stagnation and ennui.
More examples
- He struggles with ennui despite his comfortable life.
- The repetitive routine fills her with ennui.
- Travel briefly relieves the character's persistent ennui.
Forms
ennui
Similar words
- boredom
- Boredom can be brief and situational; ennui suggests a broader, listless dissatisfaction.
- apathy
- Apathy is lack of interest or concern; ennui adds a feeling of weary dissatisfaction.