bored
/bɔːd/ IELTSAcademic
adjective
Feeling unhappy because something is not interesting, or because nothing interesting is happening. It often describes a temporary feeling.
- I was bored during the long speech.
- She looked bored in class.
- Don't be bored; try the quiz.
Adinary Nuance
Bored is about your feeling. Boring describes the thing that causes the feeling. Use bored for people, and boring for events, lessons, or tasks. For example, "I am bored" but "The meeting is boring."
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- chán
- Spanish
- aburrido
- Chinese
- 无聊的
- Japanese
- 退屈した
- Korean
- 지루한
Etymology
Bored is the past participle of bore, which came into English from Old English beran, meaning 'to carry' in older senses, and later developed the idea of tiring someone. The meaning 'uninterested' became common in the 18th century.
Common phrases
bored out of my mindbored to tearsfeel boredget bored
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between bored and boring?
- Bored describes how a person feels. Boring describes something that causes that feeling.
- Is bored a common word in spoken English?
- Yes. It is very common in everyday speech, school, and work conversations.
- Can I say "I am boring" when I mean I feel bored?
- No. "I am boring" means other people may find you dull. Use "I am bored" for your feeling.
- Is bored used in formal writing?
- Yes, but it is more common in everyday writing than in academic writing.