Meaning & use
acedia
Last updated
A state of listlessness, spiritual apathy, or inability to care, historically associated with monastic life.
See it in a sentence
The monk described acedia as a creeping indifference to prayer and daily duties.
Modern writers sometimes use 'acedia' to describe the numb boredom of overwork.
A note on using this word
A rare, mostly literary or theological word; originally one of the 'deadly sins' in early Christian thought, related to spiritual weariness.
Words with a similar meaning
apathysloth
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
zealenthusiasm
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