/ˈbɔɹdəm/
boredom is pronounced /ˈbɔɹdəm/. Boredom is a feeling of weariness or restlessness that results from a lack of interest, engagement, or stimulation. It typically arises when activities feel dull or monotonous, leading to a desire for change or distraction. The term can also describe a state in a place or situation where nothing new captures attention for an extended period.
Say it backBoredom is a feeling of weariness or restlessness that results from a lack of interest, engagement, or stimulation. It typically arises when activities feel dull or monotonous, leading to a desire for change or distraction. The term can also describe a state in a place or situation where nothing new captures attention for an extended period.
"The lecture dragged on, and a sense of boredom settled over the room."
"She tried different activities to fight her boredom during the long train ride."
"The repetitive work created a creeping boredom that made time seem to slow."
US/UK/AU IPA: /ˈbɔːr.dəm/. The first syllable has primary stress (ˈ), with the /ɔː/ vowel framed by rounded lips and a back tongue position. The second syllable is a schwa-like /ə/ (ə) in many rapid speech realizations, followed by /m/. Place your tongue low and back for /ɔː/, lips rounded, then relax into the neutral /ə/ before closing with /m/. For typical online audio references, you can check Cambridge and Oxford dictionaries; you’ll hear the long, open /ɔː/ in stressed position and a short, light /m/ ending.
Two common errors: 1) Reducing the first syllable too much, saying /ˈbɔr.dɒm/ or /ˈboʊr.dəm/ with an American/diphthong misplacement. Correction: keep the first syllable as a long /ɔː/ with steady tongue height and lip rounding, then release into /r/ without adding a secondary vowel. 2) Merging the two syllables too quickly, producing /ˈbɔːrdəm/ without a distinct /d/ closure. Correction: ensure a crisp /d/ onset between /r/ and /d/, and maintain a short /ə/ before /m/.
In US and UK, the stressed syllable remains /ˈbɔːr/ with a long open-mid back vowel /ɔː/ before rhotic /r/ or light /r/ in non-rhotic contexts. Australian English often shows similar /ˈbɔːdəm/ with less rhotic influence in some dialects and a slightly broader vowel. In non-rhotic UK varieties, /r/ may be silent in the syllable boundary, but it’s often pronounced in linked speech. Across accents, the ending /-dən/ can be realized as /-də m/ or /-dəm/ depending on vowel reduction and fluency.
The difficulty comes from the tense, back mid vowel /ɔː/ in the stressed first syllable and the quick, reduced second syllable /ə m/. The /r/ can be tricky in non-rhotic contexts, and the transition from /ɔː/ to /r/ requires careful tongue position. Additionally, final /m/ after a reduced vowel can blur into the nasal closure. Practicing the separation of /ɔː/ and /r/ with a light /d/ between helps clarity.
A notable aspect is the syllable boundary between /ˈbɔːr/ and /dəm/, where the /r/ can influence the following /d/ voicing in connected speech. In some speakers, especially in rapid speech, the /r/ can be lightly tapped or a glide can join into /d/. Focusing on a clean /r/ release and a distinct /d/ before the schwa-like /ə/ will help you sound natural and precise.
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US: rhotic English; keep /r/ pronounced in all syllable nuclei, with a clear /ɔː/ before it. UK: often non-rhotic in some dialects; you may hear a weaker or non-pronounced post-vocalic /r/, so /ˈbɔː.dəm/ with non-rhotic linking may occur. AU: tends to be closer to rhotic but with a flatter /ɔː/ and a slightly shorter /ə/; watch for vowel quality nuances and a light /r/ in connected speech.
Boredom comes from the verb bored, meaning to make a hole with a drill or to weary. The noun form emerged in the 19th century, drawing on the sense of wearied, worn-out feeling associated with inactivity. The root bored traces to Old English borian, related to bore, and to the Latin borre, reflecting metaphorical weariness from repetitive or unengaging activities. The sense shift toward emotional fatigue developed as industrial-era life created longer, monotonous tasks. By the late 1800s, “boredom” had established itself in English prose as a condition of mental weariness rather than physical tedium alone, and it expanded to describe existential or situational ennui as well as transactional dullness. In contemporary usage, boredom encompasses both temporary states (a dull lecture) and chronic experiences (long-term disengagement at work). First documented appearances in print show up in literary contexts exploring the psyche and attention, and the term gradually gained traction in psychology, sociology, and everyday speech, maintaining a consistent core meaning of dulled interest from under-stimulation.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "boredom" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "boredom"
-dom sounds
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