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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Bore Definition, Usage & Key Differences (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：make weary or uninterested (bore)

bore 🔊

/bɔːr/

To make someone feel tired and uninterested, usually because something is not exciting or is repeated too much.

Bore meaning illustrated by a bored person yawning in a chair.

make weary or uninterested 🔊

➕

/meɪk ˈwɪəri ɔːr ʌnˈɪntrɪstɪd/

To cause someone to feel disinterested, fatigued, or weary due to a lack of stimulation, excitement, or excessive repetition.

📁 Category：Behaviors & Actions 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Old English 'borian' (to pierce). Connection to 'tiresome' meaning via extended sense of 'wear down'.

💡 Mnemonic

BORE sounds like SNORE. A boring thing makes you want to snore.

📖 Example

The two-hour lecture on tax regulations bored most of the students to tears. 🔊 The lengthy presentation on tax rules made the majority of the students feel extremely weary and disengaged.

🔗 Collocations

bore someone to tears – to make someone feel extremely bored

bore someone stiff – to bore someone completely

bore someone with details – to cause boredom by providing excessive information

🔄 Synonyms

weary (v.) – to make someone tired and impatient, especially through dullness.

tire (v.) – to cause someone to feel a need for rest or a lack of interest.

jade (v.) – to tire or become dull through repetition or excess (formal/literary).

🚫 Antonyms

entertain (v.) – to hold someone's interest or provide amusement.

engage (v.) – to attract and hold someone's interest or attention.

captivate (v.) – to attract and hold the interest of someone completely.

🌱 Derivatives

boredom (n.) – the state of feeling bored.

boring (adj.) – not interesting; tedious.

bored (adj.) – feeling weary and impatient because one is unoccupied or lacks interest.

📖 Cultural Story

The 'tiresome' sense emerged in the 18th century from earlier figurative use, describing something that 'wore down' patience like a drill. It notably characterizes tedious art or lengthy meetings in modern Anglo-American discourse.

Meaning 2：drill a hole (bore)

bore 🔊

/bɔːr/

To make a deep, round hole in something hard (like wood, wall, or ground) using a special tool.

Bore definition shown by drilling a hole in wood with a power tool.

drill a hole 🔊

➕

/drɪl ə hoʊl/

To make a deep, cylindrical hole in a solid material using a rotating tool or other means.

📁 Category：Objects & Materials 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

The construction worker needed to bore a hole through the concrete wall to install the new pipe. 🔊 The builder required to drill a passage through the solid concrete wall for fitting the new pipeline.

🔗 Collocations

bore a hole – to create a round opening by drilling

bore through something – to make a hole that passes completely through a material

bore into something – to drill deeply into a surface

🔄 Synonyms

drill (v.) – to make a hole in something using a tool with a rotating cutting tip.

pierce (v.) – to make a hole in or through something with a sharp point.

perforate (v.) – to make a hole or series of holes through something.

🚫 Antonyms

fill (v.) – to cause a space or hole to become full.

plug (v.) – to block or seal a hole.

patch (v.) – to cover a hole or weak spot to repair it.

🌱 Derivatives

borer (n.) – a tool or insect that bores holes.