verb

bore

to make weary, to drill, to pierce

His long stories always bore me.

His long stories always bore me.

They bored a hole through the wall.

They bored a hole through the wall.

((sb.)) to make (sb.) feel weary His long stories always bore me.

((sth.)) ((through sth.)) to drill (sth.) through (sth.) They bored a hole through the wall.

Synonyms: tire, weary, drill, pierce

From Old English 'borian' meaning 'to pierce'. The sense of 'to weary by dullness' arose in the mid-18th century.

Imagine a boring conversation is like a drill slowly boring into your brain. This connects both meanings.

This page is designed for learning support. Please use it as a learning reference, not as a formal reference.