Bored

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /bɔːd/

Definitions

1. A feeling of disinterest and dissatisfaction that arises when activities lack challenge or excitement
2. A mental state characterized by a lack of interest and engagement, leading to feelings of restlessness and dissatisfaction due to unvaried experiences or activities
3. Experiencing a weary or impatient state caused by repetitive or unstimulating surroundings

Etymology: Bored is simply the past participle of the verb "bore" with the ending "-ed" added, so its history is tied to the older verb rather than to any separate coinage. The verb "bore" traces back through Middle English and Old English "borian", meaning to pierce or drill a hole, and it reaches into Proto-Germanic as "burōnąn" (the root sense of boring through something). The idea of being made tired by something dull came later, as the word moved from literal drilling into a figure of speech. The "-ed" ending comes from Old English "-ed" (earlier "-od" in Old English, from Proto-Germanic "-ōdaz"), which marks the past participle and gives the adjective its sense of a state that has been produced. So a person who is bored has, in effect, been drilled into a dull state by something tedious. The modern adjective is the one that describes the feeling itself, while the older verb still keeps its original sense of making holes.

Synonyms: uninterested, weary

Antonyms: interested, excited