Language tip of the week: feeling bored

In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items.

This set of language tips will explore different ways to talk about emotions. This week’s tip looks at more words and phrases you can use to talk about feeling bored:

fed up (with) bored and annoyed with something that you feel you have accepted for too long:
You look fed up, what’s the matter? ♦ I’m so fed up with this job. ♦ After half an hour I got fed up with waiting and went home.

The usual preposition following fed up is with, but of is becoming increasingly common, especially among younger people:

You probably get fed up of hearing the same questions over and over again.

Fed up is rarely used before a noun but in informal English is sometimes followed directly by a participle:

Isn’t everyone fed up hearing about it? ♦ She is fed up eating the same thing day in day out.

sick of/tired of no longer wanting something or wanting to do something because you are bored with it:
I’m tired of waiting for him to call. ♦ I’m so sick of their endless arguing. ♦ He was sick and tired of listening to their complaints.

Did you know that Macmillan Dictionary includes a full thesaurus? This page lists more ways to say ‘bored‘.