also: とぜん
noun, na-adjective
Describes a state of having nothing to do and feeling listless or weary. Often used in literary or reflective contexts. The reading とぜん is rare and archaic.
休日は徒然で、何もする気が起きない。
On holidays I feel bored and can't bring myself to do anything.
徒然なるままに、日記を書き始めた。
Out of sheer tedium, I started writing a diary.
Rare archaic reading; the reading つれづれ is gikun/jukujikun, and とぜん is a less common alternative.
Kana spelling is common in modern writing, especially when the kanji 徒然 might be unfamiliar.
退屈 is the common everyday word for boredom. 徒然 is more literary and carries a nuance of elegant, reflective listlessness.
The kanji 徒然 are a jukujikun reading for つれづれ. The word itself is of native Japanese origin, with the exact derivation uncertain. It appears in classical works such as 徒然草 (Essays in Idleness).