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Ennui vs Listless - What's the difference?

ennui | listless |

As a noun ennui

is a gripping listlessness or melancholia caused by boredom; depression.

As an adjective listless is

lacking energy, enthusiasm, or liveliness.

ennui

English

Noun

(-)
  • A gripping listlessness or melancholia caused by boredom; depression.

    • Synonyms

    * (l) * (l) * (l)

    Quotations

    * (English Citations of "ennui")

    listless

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Lacking energy, enthusiasm, or liveliness.
  • * 1818 , , Frankenstein , ch. 18:
    • I passed whole days on the lake alone in a little boat, watching the clouds and listening to the rippling of the waves, silent and listless .
  • * 1861 , , The Stokesley Secret , ch. 6:
    • What an entirely different set of beings were those Stokesley children in lesson-time. . . . Poor, listless , stolid, deplorable logs, with bowed backs and crossed ankles, pipy voices and heavy eyes!
  • * 1901 , , The Hero , ch. 21:
    • The scene with Mrs. Wallace had broken his spirit, and he was listless now, indifferent to what happened.
  • * 2005 Nov. 29, Aryn Baker, " John Hardy: Bali Guy," Time :
    • “Listless , inattentive, distracted,” he recited. “A daydreamer. Tries his best, but is too slow.”

    Derived terms

    * listlessly * listlessness

    Anagrams

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