Ennui

[ɑ̃ˈny̑iː]

/[ɑ̃ˈny̑iː]/ noun

The verdict

“Ennui” is uncommon German (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
5
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - verursacht durch Langeweile und Interesselosigkeit

Corpus desk

Index DE-ennui · Ennui · German

Ennui · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "E" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for Ennui
PropertyValue
HeadwordEnnui
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ɑ̃ˈny̑iː]
Letters5
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „Ennui“ im Deutschen

Ennuiliegt außerhalb der 100.000 häufigsten deutschen Wörter, im Langschwanz technischer, archaischer oder seltener Formen, genau dort, wo Schreibzweifeln zuschlagen.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Ennui is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed [ɑ̃ˈny̑iː]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for Ennui, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct German form is Ennui, spelled E-N-N-U-I.

Definition

  1. 1
    verursacht durch Langeweile und Interesselosigkeit
  2. 2
    verursacht durch Missmut, Unzufriedenheit oder Widerwille

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how Ennui appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Unaufhörlich wird aus dem Grund seiner Seele der Ennui aufsteigen, die Schwärze, die Traurigkeit, der Kummer, der Verzicht, die Verzweiflung.
  2. „Immer geht es dabei um Fragen nach dem Streben nach Glück, das, wenn es zum Streben nach Erfolg, Anerkennung, materiellem Wohlergehen missrät, mit Unglück, Depression, Ennui entgolten wird.“

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Ennui"?
"Ennui" is spelled E-N-N-U-I. The IPA pronunciation is [ɑ̃ˈny̑iː].
What does "Ennui" mean?
As a noun, "Ennui" means: verursacht durch Langeweile und Interesselosigkeit
How do you pronounce "Ennui"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Ennui" is [ɑ̃ˈny̑iː]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Ennui" come from?
"Ennui" is a German word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list