What do you call the state of tiredness or lack of interest. It is subtly different from ordinary boredom. A feeling like "the world is so boring"but just a little different, implying that the state of weariness is a result of too many encounters with others.
There is an exact term but I can't remember it.
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11I was going to answer this, but was suddenly overcome by a sense of apathy and ennui, so I took a nap instead.– Hot LicksCommented Jul 24, 2015 at 17:46
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1@Hot Licks, I'm (vaguely) aware of a (purportedly) effective herbal remedy for the treatment of such existential ailments - what state are you currently in?– user98990Commented Jul 24, 2015 at 17:53
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4@LittleEva - A state of utter confusion. (No, wait -- that's Wisconsin. I guess we're only a little confused by comparison.)– Hot LicksCommented Jul 24, 2015 at 17:54
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@Hot Licks, Wisconsin? Never mind, with that governor of yours that remedy I spoke of is light-years from you, I think your stuck with the apathy and ennui. Go back to your nap.– user98990Commented Jul 24, 2015 at 18:02
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2Light-years? A three hour drive and I got ya covered, bro.– MazuraCommented Jul 24, 2015 at 21:39
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10 Answers
A good noun describing such a state is ennui.
ennui noun: a feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement.
synonyms: boredom, tedium, listlessness, lethargy, lassitude, languor, weariness, enervation (Google)
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1+1...This would have been my first choice and then "doldrums"– MistiCommented Jul 24, 2015 at 17:07
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This YouTube video of a cat speaking French is, I believe, the perfect accompaniment to this answer. youtube.com/watch?v=0M7ibPk37_U Commented Jul 25, 2015 at 15:41
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Thanks @Mari-Lou, really enjoyed Henri, who happens to be a long-haired version of my own pampered, tuxedo-clad feline, Sissy (whose real name is Richard – I was confused as to her gender – now she’s the one confused!). Additionally, the soundtrack which accompanies the sad, disaffected Henri is the third of Erik Satie’s Gymnopedie 1, 2, 3 (After The Rain), (arranged/interpreted by Pascal Rogé) ...– user98990Commented Jul 25, 2015 at 17:27
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1'Ennui' has extra class because Cole Porter used it in 'I Get A Kick Out Of You' ["... fighting vainly the old ennui..."] Commented Jul 31, 2015 at 8:27
Ennui, boredom, tedium, and doldrums- are comparable when they denote a state of dissatisfaction and weariness.
Use this noun to describe a period of time that is boring, depressing, or characterized by inactivity.
- The noun doldrums is derived from the word dull. If you’ve been vegging out in front of the TV for hours, bored out of your mind, you might say you’re "in the doldrums."
Doldrums applies to a phase or period of depression that may be marked by listness, despondency and flagging enery.
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2+1, doldrums is like the informal sibling of ennui.– user98990Commented Jul 24, 2015 at 17:57
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Jaded perhaps
adjective
bored or lacking enthusiasm, typically after having had too much of something.
(Google)
or World-Weary
adjective
feeling or indicating feelings of weariness, boredom, or cynicism as a result of long experience of life.
(Google)
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1It can be but there's a certain word of "world-weariness", but just a little different. Commented Jul 24, 2015 at 16:31
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@JaegerJay +1 for world-weariness, I don't see how ennui captures this at all.– MazuraCommented Jul 24, 2015 at 21:53
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@Mazura When i searched the word "ennui", it says there almost the same definition I have described in the OP. World-weariness is included there :). Commented Jul 25, 2015 at 7:57
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1@Avon that has to be my top auto correct error of all time! Still, maybe it's true when they say men think with their **** ;-) Commented Jul 26, 2015 at 17:15
Are you looking for "apathy"?
- apathy - (noun) lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern. Google
or "insipidity" (noun) - the state of finding everything uninteresting and dull.
boredom, tedium, uninterestedness and unconcern may also apply.
answered Jul 24, 2015 at 16:38
Blasé may suggest the idea:
- indifferent to something because of familiarity or surfeit,
- lacking enthusiasm; bored
(Collins)
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Nope, I mean it is a subtle change of mood for no apparent reason. Not exhausted because of over-activity. Commented Jul 24, 2015 at 16:28
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Sort of subtle feeling of depression?– user66974Commented Jul 24, 2015 at 16:29
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Yeah, somewhat similar too that. But I won't consider it a depression because these feelings come and go with no clear precipitant. Commented Jul 24, 2015 at 16:32
Insouciant is also a great word for this
showing a casual lack of concern; indifferent.
Sylvia Plath has a poem called Ennui that is littered with all kinds of these words (of course the word ennui itself being the most prominent)
How about anhedonia? The Concise Oxford English Dictionary defines this as
inability to feel pleasure in normally pleasurable activities.
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2I added a in-text citation and a link to a dictionary that uses the exact wording you quoted. I also removed the attribution to Google, since that is not a helpful source to cite. Commented Jul 25, 2015 at 9:06
Malaise
ma·laise
məˈlāz/
noun
noun: malaise; plural noun: malaises
a general feeling of discomfort, illness, or uneasiness whose exact cause is difficult to identify.
Oxford Dictionaries
Your accepted answer and nearly all the others are synonyms for boredom. I shall tackle the part everyone missed (jaded comes close): "implying that the state of weariness is a result of too many encounters with others."
Not a single word, but I describe this as 'being on' and wish I could 'turn off'. Introverts like myself, might have about two hours tolerance for engaging other people. After that we need to collect ourselves.
I'm tired of being on all day, I need some time to myself.
It's the heightened level of consciousness required, for acceptable social interaction, that makes us so weary.
Thank god all my guests went home. I'm mentally exhausted. Finally, I can turn off.
Depression:
Feelings of sadness, tearfulness, emptiness or hopelessness
Mayo Clinic
