Bored is an adjective describing the feeling of weariness or lack of interest due to repetition or inactivity. It can also describe something as dull or uninteresting. In context, it often conveys a passive state, contrasting with excitement or curiosity. The term is commonly used in everyday speech and writing to express mild dissatisfaction or disengagement.
"I was bored during the lecture and stared at the clock."
"She looked bored at the party, sipping her drink with a half-smile."
"The movie was boring, so I left before the credits."
"If you’re bored, try a different activity or ask a challenging question."
Bored derives from the Old English word borian meaning to drill or bore, which came from the Proto-Germanic root *borjaną and is related to the verb to bore. In Middle English, bored appeared in senses connected with making a hole (to bore through) and subsequently transitioned to figurative meanings about monotonous or tedious work that makes someone feel bored. The sense of weariness and lack of interest began to crystallize in Early Modern English as leisure and cognitive load from repetitive tasks increased, aligning with the shift toward describing mental states rather than physical actions. The modern usage, closely tied to the verb “to bore,” emerged as adjectives like bored and boring became common in everyday speech, with “bored” signaling a personal emotional state rather than a description of an activity alone. First known written attestations appear in late medieval to early modern English texts, with the figurative sense gaining traction in the 16th–18th centuries as social and intellectual life became more complex and people sought to distinguish internal states from external actions.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Bored" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Bored"
-ord sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce it as a single syllable /bɔːd/ (US: /bɔrd/ in fast speech). The initial lips form a rounded shape for /b/, then the vowel uses an open-mid back quality; the final /d/ is a voiced alveolar plosive. In careful speech, US speakers may show a slight rhotic quality in some environments, but typically it remains non-rhotic here. Listen for a clean, steady vowel with no added syllable. IPA: US /bɔɹd/ or /bɔrd/; UK/AU /bɔːd/.
Common mistakes include pronouncing it as two syllables (bo-erd) or using a hidden /ə/ before the /d/. Some speakers over-articulate the vowel, producing /boːɜrd/ or /boh-erd/. The fix: keep it a tight, single-syllable /bɔːd/ (US /bɔrd/); relax the jaw; end with a crisp /d/ without voicing into a separate syllable. Practice with a quick, clipped vowel, then blend into a steady /d/ release.
US tends to be rhotic and may subtly curl the tongue toward /ɹ/ in rapid speech, yielding /bɔɹd/; the vowel is often shorter in fast speech. UK typically has a longer, monophthongal /ɔː/ and non-rhotic /bɔːd/ with a halting final /d/. Australian tends to be a broad /ɔː/ with slightly more centralized vowel quality and a crisp, clear final /d/. In all cases, the word remains one syllable, but vowel length and rhoticity shift slightly with tempo and speaker. IPA references: US /bɔɹd/, UK /bɔːd/, AU /bɔːd/.
The challenge lies in producing a tight, single-syllable vowel that can vary in length depending on accent, while avoiding an extra syllable or an intrusive schwa. For many learners, the risk is turning it into bo-ered with an extraneous vowel and misplacing the /d/ endpoint. Achieve crisp onset /b/, open-mid back vowel quality, and a final stop /d/ without voicing into a second syllable. Pay attention to subtle vowel length differences across US/UK/AU variants.
Bored is a fixed, unstressed word in many phrases, so it typically carries primary stress within the clause only when emphasized. In neutral speech it’s unstressed, but when contrasted (e.g., I wasn’t bored; I was excited), the stress shifts to the word or accompanying content. The main feature to monitor is keeping the vowel sound tight and avoiding extra syllables, even when the surrounding syllables are rapid. IPA: /bɔɹd/ (US), /bɔːd/ (UK/AU).
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