ennui
5 synonyms and 3 antonyms for ennui, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A weary, dissatisfied boredom that comes from having nothing that feels worth doing.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Antonyms
How to use ennui
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
a sense of ennui
suburban ennui
fill the ennui
profound ennui
Literary and slightly self-aware; uncommon in plain speech.
Etymology
From French ennui 'boredom, annoyance', from ennuyer, which goes back to the Latin phrase in odio (esse) 'to be hateful'.
Full origin of ennui →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between ennui and boredom?
Boredom is usually temporary and has a cause — a dull meeting, a wet afternoon. Ennui is a settled mood in which nothing at all seems worth the effort, closer to weariness with life than to lacking something to do.
How do you pronounce ennui?
It keeps its French sound: on-WEE, with the stress on the second syllable and a nasal first vowel. It is not pronounced 'en-you-eye'.
Is ennui the same as depression?
No. Ennui is an ordinary, if literary, description of a bored and jaded mood. Depression is a medical condition involving persistent low mood and loss of function, and it needs proper assessment rather than a French noun.
