(ŏn-wēˈ, ŏnˈwē)
noun Listlessness and dissatisfaction resulting from lack of interest; boredom: “The servants relieved their ennui with gambling and gossip about their masters” (John Barth).
Word History: Were they alive today, users of Classical Latin might be surprised to find that centuries later a phrase of theirs still survives, although as a single word. The phrase
mihi in odiō est (literally translated as “to me in a condition of dislike or hatred is”), meaning “I hate or dislike,” gave rise to the Vulgar Latin verb
*inodiāre, “to make odious,” the source of the Old French verb
ennuyer or
anoier, “to annoy, bore.” This was borrowed into English by around 1275 as
anoien, our
annoy. From the Old French verb a noun meaning “worry, boredom” was derived, which became
ennui in modern French. This noun, with the sense “boredom,” was borrowed into English in the 18th century, perhaps filling a need in polite, cultivated society.
