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無為無聊 (むいぶりょう) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

無む為い無ぶ聊りょう

also: むいむりょう

Meanings

1

na-adjective, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no', noun

boredom; ennui; tedium

A literary or formal term for a state of having nothing to do and feeling weary or listless; often used in written or elevated contexts.

無む為い無ぶ聊りょうの日ひ々びを送おくる。
I spend my days in idle boredom.
彼かれは無む為い無ぶ聊りょうに耐たえかねて、新あたらしい趣しゅ味みを始はじめた。
Unable to bear the tedium, he started a new hobby.

Written forms

無為無聊
- むいぶりょう
  Standard kanji form; the reading むいぶりょう is the most common.
- むいむりょう
  Alternate reading; less common but still encountered.
むいむりょう

Kanji

無nothingness, none, ain't
為do, change, make

聊slightly

Similar words

退たい屈くつ
退屈 is the common, everyday word for boredom. 無為無聊 is more literary and emphasizes a sense of aimlessness and weariness.
倦けん怠たい
倦怠 also means weariness or lassitude, but is more often used in medical or psychological contexts (e.g., 倦怠感). 無為無聊 focuses on the boredom from idleness.

Etymology

A yojijukugo (four-character compound) combining 無為 (idleness, doing nothing) and 無聊 (boredom, ennui). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it is a literary coinage expressing the state of having nothing to do and feeling listless.