What does ennui mean?
Ennui refers to a persistent feeling of weariness, listlessness, and dissatisfaction that arises from boredom, idleness, or a lack of purpose. Unlike ordinary boredom, which passes once something engaging appears, ennui suggests a deeper, more settled disaffection — a sense that nothing on offer can stir one's interest. It entered English in the seventeenth century from French, where it derives ultimately from Latin roots meaning 'to be in hatred', giving it a faintly dramatic pedigree. The word is formal to literary in register and often carries ironic overtones, evoking jaded aristocrats, disaffected artists, or characters in fin-de-siècle fiction. Common pairings include 'a sense of ennui' and 'existential ennui'. It is useful precisely because plain words like 'boredom' cannot capture this blend of restlessness, apathy, and self-conscious dissatisfaction.
nounA feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement; profound boredom.
- A feeling of weariness and dissatisfaction born of idleness, monotony, or lack of excitement; a refined, almost fashionable form of boredom.
"A wealthy heir with nothing to do but drift between parties, he was consumed by ennui."
"By mid-afternoon on the third day of rain, a deep ennui had settled over the household."
"The novel's protagonist drifts through Parisian salons in a state of elegant ennui, unable to take interest in anything."
A plural exists historically, meaning vexations or troubles, but it is archaic and rarely used today; modern usage treats ennui as uncountable.
"He recounted the many ennuis of his long diplomatic career."
Ennui comes from the Latin phrase in odio esse — 'to be in hatred' — making it, literally, a state of hating everything out of sheer boredom.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of ennui
Ennui was borrowed into English from French in the seventeenth century, where it originally carried the broader sense of annoyance or vexation before narrowing to mean weary dissatisfaction. The French word descends from Old French enui, from the Late Latin phrase in odio esse, meaning 'to be in hatred or dislike'. This same Latin root gives us the related English words annoy, annoyance, and odium, all sharing the notion of aversion.
How ennui is actually used
Ennui is a literary and somewhat formal word, often carrying an ironic or sophisticated tone; it suggests a chronic, existential boredom rather than momentary dullness, and it functions as a mass noun with no plural in ordinary use.
Easily confused with ennui
Ennui means world-weary boredom or dissatisfaction, while envy is resentment or longing for what someone else has — the two share only a vague visual resemblance.