Ennui
Word of the Day
What is Ennui?
noun
A feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement.
Pronunciation
Why This Word?
Selected for Earth Day, reflecting a subtle emotional undercurrent in a world overwhelmed by crisis, overconsumption, and spiritual fatigue.
Examples of Use
Here's how this word appears in everyday language:
He drifted through life, plagued by a constant sense of ennui.
The novel captures the ennui of suburban existence with painful precision.
During lockdown, many experienced a profound ennui that no distraction could cure.
Word Origins
From French ennui (boredom), from Old French enui, from enuiier ("to annoy").
Popularized in existentialist literature and Romantic poetry, particularly in French and Russian traditions.
First appearance in English: 18th century
Word Family
Related forms of this word:
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Noun:
Her ennui was written all over her face.
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Adjective:
The ennuyé aristocrat stared blankly at the ballroom.
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Noun:
The tedium of the meeting bordered on ennui.
Around the World
How this word appears in other languages:
- Spanish: tedio
- French: ennui
- German: Überdruss
- Italian: noia esistenziale
- Portuguese: tédio
If you Already Know This Word
If you've mastered this word, try these more advanced alternatives:
Malaise
A general feeling of discomfort; “ennui” leans more into listlessness and intellectual boredom.
Tedium
More repetitive and mundane than “ennui,” which carries philosophical depth.
Melancholy
A mood of sadness; “ennui” blends boredom with existential angst.
Weltschmerz
A German term meaning “world-pain,” similar in tone but broader and more poetic.
Fun Facts
- “Ennui” was adopted into English in the 1700s to reflect a kind of sophisticated, melancholic boredom.
- Philosophers like Kierkegaard and Schopenhauer used ennui to describe the emotional cost of modernity.
Cultural Usage
- In Pixar’s “Inside Out,” the French character “Ennui” represents boredom as a slouched, disinterested figure — literally personifying the emotion.
- In Albert Camus’s “The Stranger,” the protagonist Meursault embodies ennui in his emotional detachment and passive existence.
- In “Mad Men,” Don Draper’s life is a slow unraveling of professional success and existential ennui.
- The song “No Surprises” by Radiohead is often interpreted as a poetic reflection of modern ennui.
Common Mistakes
Often confused with “boredom,” but “ennui” carries a more existential, poetic tone.
Micro Story
She wandered the empty apartment, her ennui thick as the silence that filled the walls.