as in boredom
physical or mental inertness
faced with a class forever enveloped in a miasma of apathy and intellectual hebetude, the professor had little hope of kindling an interest in medieval European history
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Recent Examples of hebetude
The leaden weight of an irremediable idleness descended upon General Feraud, who having no resources within himself sank into a state of awe-inspiring hebetude.
—
Ruth Walker, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Sep. 2017
Ruth Walker, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Sep. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hebetude
Noun
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The habit of tolerating boredom and refusing to treat it as a signal to quit turns out to be a competitive advantage hiding in plain sight.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
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Many refugees came to her complaining of the headaches and sores and bodily pains that come from extreme stress and extreme boredom, of bedding on cold floors and being awoken through the night by explosions.—
James Verini,
The Atlantic,
12 May 2026
Noun
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This includes lethargy, weakness, discolored gums, or changes in urine color, warns April Summers, DVM, emergency veterinarian at AVSG Internal Medicine, Emergency & Critical Care.—
Rae Ford,
Martha Stewart,
23 May 2026
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The eaglet began showing signs of illness on May 14, with symptoms including regurgitating food, a disinterest in eating, lethargy and weakness, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.—
Finch Walker,
USA Today,
18 May 2026
Noun
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Their apps seem clearly designed, much like TikTok and Candy Crush, to keep users scrolling and tapping in a hypnotic stupor.—
McKay Coppins,
The Atlantic,
12 Mar. 2026
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Patrons — many just as panicked and some in a drunken stupor — ran by her.—
Emiliano Tahui Gómez,
Austin American Statesman,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hebetude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hebetude. Accessed 25 May. 2026.
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