doldrums

dol·drums/ˈdɑldɹəmz/noun

doldrums is spelled D-O-L-D-R-U-M-S: 8 letters and 2 syllables (dol·drums). It appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 57,423rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, doldrums means “Usually preceded by the: a state of apathy or lack of interest; a situation where one feels boredom, ennui, or tedium; a state of listlessness or…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).

How many letters and syllables are in doldrums?

Letters	8: D-O-L-D-R-U-M-S
Syllables	2: dol·drums
In writing	about once in every 4 million words; the 57,423rd most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searched	none measured in search

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How common is doldrums?

Doldrums appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 57,423rd most frequent word form in the list.

doldrums0.0010.010.11101001,00010,000

rarerper million words of written Englishmore common

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce doldrums?

UK /ˈdɒldɹəmz/
US /ˈdɑldɹəmz/

Doldrums has 2 syllables, split dol·drums in writing.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-doldrums.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

What does doldrums mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

1
Usually preceded by the: a state of apathy or lack of interest; a situation where one feels boredom, ennui, or tedium; a state of listlessness or malaise.
I was in the doldrums yesterday and just didn’t feel inspired.
2
Usually preceded by the: the state of a sailing ship when it is impeded by calms or light, baffling winds, and is unable to make progress.
3
Usually preceded by the: a part of the ocean near the equator where calms, squalls, and light, baffling winds are common.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Doldrums in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

Language	Words
German	Trübsal, trübselige Stimmung, Trübsinn, Lustlosigkeit, Flautenstimmung, Flaute (state of apathy or lack of interest)
Portuguese	esmorecimento, modorra (state of apathy or lack of interest)
French	Pot-au-Noir (part of the ocean near the equator)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does doldrums come from?

From obsolete doldrum (“slothful or stupid person”) plus the plural suffix -s. Doldrum is possibly derived from dull or Middle English dold (past participle of dullen, dollen (“to make or become blunt or dull; to make or become dull-witted or stupid; to make or become inactive”), from dul, dol, dolle (“not sharp, blunt, dull; not quick-witted, stupid; lethargic, sluggish”); see further at dull), modelled after tantrum.