English Reference
adjective

bored

adj.
US /ˈbɔɹd/ UK /bˈɔːd/ bored

  1. 01 A1 Beginner

    feeling unhappy or tired because you are not interested in what you are doing.

    feeling weary and restless through lack of interest or having nothing to do.

    Simple

    The children were bored during the long car ride and started to argue.

    In context

    The students grew increasingly bored as the lecturer continued to read directly from the slides without engaging the audience.

    Usage

    Usually follows a linking verb like 'be', 'get', or 'feel'; often takes the preposition 'with'.

    Pitfall
    The movie was very bored. The movie was very boring.

    Use 'bored' to describe how a person feels. Use 'boring' to describe the thing that causes the feeling.

  2. 02 C1 Advanced Technical Technical

    having a hole made through it by a tool.

    perforated or hollowed out, typically by a drill or similar mechanical tool.

    Simple

    The bored metal pipe allowed the water to flow through easily.

    In context

    The engine block features precisely bored cylinders to ensure maximum compression and fuel efficiency during operation.

Don't confuse

bored vs boring — Bored is the feeling inside a person; boring is the quality of the thing that causes that feeling.


From bore + -ed.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level A1 · Beginner
Frequency Common
Updated