German word

Langeweile

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈlaŋəˌvaɪ̯lə/

Meaning

  • feminine nounboredom

Example

Ich habe heute Langeweile.

I'm bored today.

Illustration for Langeweile (boredom)

More examples

Aus Langeweile habe ich gestern begonnen, zu malen.

Out of boredom, I started painting yesterday.

Core concept

A clock seems to move slowly through an uninteresting gap with no activity or stimulation.

Common phrases

  • vor Langeweile sterben

    die of boredom

  • aus Langeweile etwas tun

    do something out of boredom

  • an Langeweile leiden

    suffer from boredom

Similar words

Eintönigkeit: A tiring sense that the same things keep happening without change.
Monotonie: A dull, unvaried state with almost no change to sustain interest.
Unterforderung: A state caused by tasks being too easy to provide enough challenge.
Desinteresse: A lack of interest or attention toward a subject or activity.

Definition in German

Gefühl, wenn nichts Interessantes passiert und man sich unbeschäftigt und desinteressiert fühlt.

Word origin

The compound Langeweile joins lang, 'long', and Weile, 'period of time', expressing the sense that a period feels excessively long.

Usage tips

  • German commonly describes the feeling with Mir ist langweilig, while Ich habe Langeweile presents it as a situation or state.

Other meanings

  • tediumnoun
  • ennuinoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word