Ennui

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɒnˈwiː/

Definitions

1. A feeling of dissatisfaction and tedium stemming from unchanging circumstances or a lack of engagement in stimulating activities
2. A sense of boredom and restlessness caused by the monotony of daily life or the absence of interesting pursuits
3. A state of lethargy and disinterest arising from prolonged engagement in unexciting tasks or a scarcity of meaningful experiences

Etymology: The word arrived in English straight from French, where it had been carrying the sense of annoyance for centuries before it came to mean the languid boredom we know today. Its ancestry runs through Old French "enui", a noun built on the verb "enuier", which is the source of modern French "ennuyer", and through Late Latin "inodiare", a verb formed from the Latin phrase "in odio", meaning "in hatred" or "hated". In other words, the earliest sense was closer to being hated or made odious than to being bored. English has a surprising sibling in "annoy". The two words are doublets, meaning they descend from the same source but came into English by different routes, one through Old French and the other from the same French verb family at a different time. "Annoy" kept the sense of irritation, while "ennui" in its borrowed form drifted toward the weary, listless state of having nothing to do.

Synonyms: boredom, apathy, tedium

Antonyms: excitement, interest, enthusiasm