Ennui
noun /ɒnˈwiː/ — A sophisticated boredom — listlessness from a surfeit of experience and lack of purpose.
Definition
A feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement; not mere boredom but a deeper, more philosophical emptiness that comes from wanting meaning and finding none.
Beyond the definition
Ennui is not the same as boredom. Boredom is wanting something to do. Ennui is a condition of the soul — the suspicion that nothing will quite satisfy, that all options have been examined and found wanting, that you are not waiting for something to begin but wondering if anything will ever feel like enough.
Origin & history
French, from Old French 'enui' (displeasure), from Latin 'in odio' (in hate) — the same root as 'annoy.' Ennui borrowed the French refinement of a feeling English already knew.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
She suffered from ennui more than boredom — the problem wasn't a lack of things to do but a lack of things that mattered.
He recognised ennui in himself at thirty — all options available, none of them sufficient.
Ennui is what happens when the experience of living has been fully catalogued and found insufficient.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Ennui” when the meaning fits your context: A feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement; not mere boredom but a deeper, more philosophical emptiness that comes from wanting meaning and finding none.
Synonyms
listlessness, tedium, languor, world-weariness
Antonyms
enthusiasm, passion, engagement, purpose
Related words
Ennui vs boredom
Boredom is usually a temporary reaction to a dull situation or lack of interest. Ennui describes a more profound, existential state of world-weariness and pervasive dissatisfaction with life.
Word in the Wild
Illustrative story: an imagined scene, not a documented event or interview.
He had everything he had been told to want: the apartment, the job title, the relationship, the social calendar. Nothing was wrong. That was precisely the problem.
He described it to his therapist as a colour. "Not grey, exactly. More like beige. Everything is a slightly muted version of what it should be."
His therapist asked when he had last wanted something enough to be afraid of not getting it. He thought about it for a long time. The answer was further back than he had expected. He and his therapist spent two months finding their way toward it.
Questions about this word
What does "Ennui" mean?
Ennui is noun meaning: A sophisticated boredom — listlessness from a surfeit of experience and lack of purpose.. A feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement; not mere boredom but a deeper, more philosophical emptiness that comes from wanting meaning and finding none.
Which words express “longing with nothing to long for”?
Ennui — A sophisticated boredom — listlessness from a surfeit of experience and lack of purpose.
Where does the word "Ennui" come from?
French, from Old French 'enui' (displeasure), from Latin 'in odio' (in hate) — the same root as 'annoy.' Ennui borrowed the French refinement of a feeling English already knew.