ennui

Put simply, ennui is a French word that describes feelings associated with boredom.

The word ennui comes from an old French word meaning “profound sadness, chagrin, or disgust.” Among French speakers, ennui can also refer to “disagreeableness.” It comes from a Latin word that also gives us the word annoy.

English borrowed ennui by the 1660s to express a “weary boredom” that results from dissatisfaction or idleness. A 1778 definition of bore describes it as a “thing which causes ennui or annoyance.”

Like in French, ennui became used in English to describe a feeling of discontent almost as if it was an actual object. It usually has a kind of wistful listlessness.

Ennui, as a fancy word for “boredom,” implies discontent and angst. It is often used as if a person were describing an illness, as in “I’m suffering from ennui.” It’s a tricky word to define in English—probably because it comes from French.

Hi I'm Stu and I have PTSD that leads to bouts of depression and ennui. Tonight is one of those nights. You're not alone in your feelings. We are all in this together.

— Wombat Medic (@CallMeCookie) October 1, 2018

Ennui remains associated with a kind of existential emotion and can be used for melodramatic effect.

Cilantro divides us. But can we not understand that all good has become something that is attached to both ennui and anger- why don’t we simply accept one another’s cilantro preference and then work towards a centrist peanut butter driven economy?

— t.j. miller (@nottjmiller) October 1, 2018

More examples of ennui:

“The prospect of being with your significant other forever. Does it sound like eternal bliss? Or a recipe for soul-crushing ennui?”
—Brad Newsome, The Sydney Morning Herald, September, 2018

This content is not meant to be a formal definition of this term. Rather, it is an informal summary that seeks to provide supplemental information and context important to know or keep in mind about the term’s history, meaning, and usage.