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
-
Italian nonne stirred pots full of sauce with a look of utter boredom and, here and there, Neapolitan ragazzi sat atop their motorini and gawped at the torture.—
Douglas Stuart,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
-
In some cases, however, there’s more to a creeping sense of boredom than just stability.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Early signs of canine parvovirus in dogs include lethargy, lack of appetite and fever, PetMD said.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
28 Apr. 2026
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This risk is when this carefulness crosses over into lethargy.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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 3 May. 2026.
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