Bore Definition and Meaning
By Urooj Arif & Fiza Rafique — Published on March 7, 2024
Bore means to drill a hole, or to make someone feel weary and uninterested through dullness. e.g., The lecture was so dull it bored the students to tears.
Table of Contents
Bore Definitions
To drill or make a hole in something.
He used a drill to bore a hole through the wall.
To cause feelings of weariness or disinterest through lack of stimulation.
The monotonous speech bored the audience.
To make one's way through something by drilling or cutting.
The miner bored into the rock looking for gems.
To create a tunnel or passageway.
The company plans to bore a new subway tunnel under the city.
To penetrate or force one's way into something.
The sunlight bored through the thick curtains.
To weary by dullness or repetitive action.
The long drive across the plain bored him.
To drill a hole as a means of exploration.
Scientists bore into the ice to study ancient climate conditions.
To hold attention in a negative way by being uninteresting.
His stories bore me because they never change.
To cause ennui or a sense of tediousness.
Days of rain and no sunshine bored the vacationers.
To be tiresome or uninteresting.
The play was so bore that many left at the intermission.
To make a hole in or through, with or as if with a drill.
To form (a tunnel, for example) by drilling, digging, or burrowing.
To make a hole in or through something with or as if with a drill
"three types of protein that enable the cells to bore in and out of blood vessels" (Elisabeth Rosenthal).
To proceed or advance steadily or laboriously
A destroyer boring through heavy seas.
To make weary by being dull, repetitive, or tedious
The movie bored us.
Past tense of bear1.
A hole or passage made by or as if by use of a drill.
A hollow, usually cylindrical chamber or barrel, as of a firearm.
The interior diameter of a hole, tube, or cylinder.
The caliber of a firearm.
A drilling tool.
One that is wearingly dull, repetitive, or tedious.
(transitive) To inspire boredom in somebody.
Reading books really bores me, films are much more exciting.
Bore someone to death
(transitive) To make a hole through something.
(intransitive) To make a hole with, or as if with, a boring instrument; to cut a circular hole by the rotary motion of a tool.
To bore for water or oil
An insect bores into a tree.
(transitive) To form or enlarge (something) by means of a boring instrument or apparatus.
To bore a steam cylinder or a gun barrel; to bore a hole
(transitive) To make (a passage) by laborious effort, as in boring; to force a narrow and difficult passage through.
To bore one's way through a crowd
(intransitive) To be pierced or penetrated by an instrument that cuts as it turns.
This timber does not bore well.
(intransitive) To push forward in a certain direction with laborious effort.
(obsolete) To fool; to trick.
A hole drilled or milled through something, or (by extension) its diameter.
The bore of a cannon
The tunnel inside of a gun's barrel through which the bullet travels when fired, or (by extension) its diameter.
A tool, such as an auger, for making a hole by boring.
A capped well drilled to tap artesian water.
The place where such a well exists.
One who inspires boredom or lack of interest; an uninteresting person.
My neighbour is such a bore when he talks about his coin collection.
Something dull or uninteresting.
What a bore that movie was! There was no action, and the dialogue was totally uncreative.
Calibre; importance.
A sudden and rapid flow of tide occurring in certain rivers and estuaries which rolls up as a wave.
To perforate or penetrate, as a solid body, by turning an auger, gimlet, drill, or other instrument; to make a round hole in or through; to pierce; as, to bore a plank.
I'll believe as soon this whole earth may be bored.
To form or enlarge by means of a boring instrument or apparatus; as, to bore a steam cylinder or a gun barrel; to bore a hole.
Short but very powerful jaws, by means whereof the insect can bore, as with a centerbit, a cylindrical passage through the most solid wood.
To make (a passage) by laborious effort, as in boring; as, to bore one's way through a crowd; to force a narrow and difficult passage through.
To weary by tedious iteration or by dullness; to tire; to trouble; to vex; to annoy; to pester.
He bores me with some trick.
Used to come and bore me at rare intervals.
To befool; to trick.
I am abused, betrayed; I am laughed at, scorned,Baffled and bored, it seems.
To make a hole or perforation with, or as with, a boring instrument; to cut a circular hole by the rotary motion of a tool; as, to bore for water or oil (i. e., to sink a well by boring for water or oil); to bore with a gimlet; to bore into a tree (as insects).
To be pierced or penetrated by an instrument that cuts as it turns; as, this timber does not bore well, or is hard to bore.
To push forward in a certain direction with laborious effort.
They take their flight . . . boring to the west.
To shoot out the nose or toss it in the air; - said of a horse.
A hole made by boring; a perforation.
The internal cylindrical cavity of a gun, cannon, pistol, or other firearm, or of a pipe or tube.
The bores of wind instruments.
Love's counselor should fill the bores of hearing.
The size of a hole; the interior diameter of a tube or gun barrel; the caliber.
A tool for making a hole by boring, as an auger.
Caliber; importance.
Yet are they much too light for the bore of the matter.
A person or thing that wearies by prolixity or dullness; a tiresome person or affair; any person or thing which causes ennui.
It is as great a bore as to hear a poet read his own verses.
A tidal flood which regularly or occasionally rushes into certain rivers of peculiar configuration or location, in one or more waves which present a very abrupt front of considerable height, dangerous to shipping, as at the mouth of the Amazon, in South America, the Hoogly and Indus, in India, and the Tsien-tang, in China.
A person who evokes boredom
A high wave (often dangerous) caused by tidal flow (as by colliding tidal currents or in a narrow estuary)
Diameter of a tube or gun barrel
A hole or passage made by a drill; usually made for exploratory purposes
Cause to be bored
Make a hole with a pointed power or hand tool;
Don't drill here, there's a gas pipe
Drill a hole into the wall
Drill for oil
Bore Snonyms
Drill
To make a hole with a rotating tool.
He drilled a hole in the board for the screw.
Tunnel
To dig or force a passage.
The mole tunneled through the garden undetected.
Weary
To cause to feel tired or bored.
The long lecture wearied the students.
Fatigue
To cause someone to feel tired or exhausted.
The marathon fatigued even the most experienced runners.
Penetrate
To make a way through or into something.
The roots penetrated deep into the soil.
Tire
To exhaust the interest or patience of.
The repetitive tasks tired her quickly.
Tedious
Too long, slow, or dull; tiresome or monotonous.
Filling out the forms was a tedious job.
Dull
To make or become uninteresting or tedious.
The knife dulled with use over time.
Monotonous
Dull and repetitious; lacking in variety and interest.
The monotonous tone of his voice put the audience to sleep.
Pierce
To make a hole or opening in.
The arrow pierced the target.
Bore Idioms & Phrases
Bore a hole in one's head
To repeatedly talk to someone about something uninteresting.
He bored a hole in my head with his endless stories about fishing.
Bore to tears
To make someone extremely bored.
The uninspired play bored the audience to tears.
Bore the pants off
To be extremely boring.
His lecture bored the pants off me.
Bore someone to death
To make someone feel extremely bored.
That meeting bored me to death.
Bore through
To penetrate or make a way through something by boring.
The drill bore through the metal plate easily.
Bore fruit
To yield results; to be fruitful.
Years of hard work finally bore fruit when the research was published.
Bore out
To prove to be true; verify.
The investigation bore out the whistleblower's claims.
Bore into the ground
To drill into the earth, typically for exploration or extraction.
They bore into the ground in search of water.
Bore the cost of
To bear or carry the expenses of something.
The company bore the cost of the environmental clean-up.
Bore into someone
To stare intensely as if trying to penetrate them.
She bore into him with a look that demanded the truth.
Bore down on
To move towards someone or something in a threatening way.
The storm bore down on the coastline with ferocious intensity.
Bore the brunt of
To suffer the worst part of an unpleasant or problematic situation.
The coastal towns bore the brunt of the hurricane.
Bore up under
To endure or withstand pressure or adversity.
She bore up under the strain remarkably well.
Bore witness to
To be evidence of; to show something clearly.
The ancient ruins bore witness to a once-thriving civilization.
Bore the sight of
To endure looking at something unpleasant.
I cannot bore the sight of blood.
Bore the mark of
To show signs or characteristics of something.
The soldier bore the mark of battle with pride.
Bore a resemblance to
To look very similar to.
He bore a striking resemblance to his grandfather.
Bore one’s soul
To reveal one’s innermost thoughts and feelings.
She bore her soul to her friend in a moment of truth.
Bore someone stiff
To bore someone extremely.
The dry lecture bore everyone stiff.
Bore into oblivion
To drill or make irrelevant through intense action or focus.
The company aimed to bore its competition into oblivion with innovative practices.
Bore Example Sentences
They plan to bore a tunnel through the mountain.
Can you bore a hole here for the nail?
The machine can bore through rock at a rapid pace.
Common Curiosities
Why is it called bore?
The term "bore" comes from the Old English "bārian," meaning to bear, carry, or create a hole, reflecting the action of making a hole or the feeling of tediousness and weariness.
How do we divide bore into syllables?
Being a single syllable word, "bore" cannot be further divided.
How is bore used in a sentence?
"Bore" can refer to the act of making a hole or causing ennui, e.g., The drill can bore through concrete, or His monologue bored the audience.
What part of speech is bore?
"Bore" is a verb when referring to the action of making a hole or causing ennui. It can also be a noun referring to a boring person or the diameter of a hole.
What is another term for bore?
Another term for "bore" in the context of making a hole is "drill," and for causing tedium, "tire" or "weary."
What is the singular form of bore?
The singular form is "bore" when used as a verb or noun.
How many syllables are in bore?
There is one syllable in "bore."
What is a stressed syllable in bore?
In the word "bore," the entire word is stressed, as it is only one syllable.
What is the first form of bore?
The first form of "bore" is "bore."
Is bore an adverb?
No, "bore" is not an adverb.
Is bore an abstract noun?
When "bore" is used as a noun to refer to a boring person or action, it is not abstract; it refers to a concrete action or individual.
What is the opposite of bore?
The opposite of "bore" in terms of causing ennui might be "entertain" or "engage," and in terms of drilling, an opposite action might be "fill."
Is bore a noun or adjective?
"Bore" can be a verb or a noun but is not typically used as an adjective.
Is bore a negative or positive word?
"Bore" generally has a negative connotation, whether referring to the tediousness or the act of making a hole, depending on the context.
Is bore a countable noun?
As a noun, "bore" can be countable, e.g., referring to the diameter of holes or boring individuals.
Is bore a collective noun?
No, "bore" is not typically used as a collective noun.
What is the verb form of bore?
The verb form of "bore" is "to bore," with its past tense being "bored" and its past participle being "bored."
What is the pronunciation of bore?
The pronunciation of "bore" is /bɔːr/ or /boʊr/ depending on the accent.
What is the root word of bore?
The root word of "bore" is from the Old English "bārian," meaning to bear or to carry.
What is the second form of bore?
The second form of "bore" is "bored."
Is the word bore a Gerund?
No, "bore" itself is not a gerund. The gerund form of "bore" is "boring."
Is the word “bore” a Direct object or an Indirect object?
In a sentence, "bore" can have a direct object (what is being bored) but it is a verb, so it cannot be a direct or indirect object itself.
Which vowel is used before bore?
The vowel used before "bore" depends on the article or adjective preceding it, not on "bore" itself.
Is the bore term a metaphor?
In some uses, "bore" can be a metaphor, particularly when referring to causing ennui or penetrating with a look or gaze.
Which preposition is used with bore?
Prepositions used with "bore" can include "into," "through," and "in," depending on the context.
Which conjunction is used with bore?
The conjunction used with "bore" depends on the sentence structure and is not specific to "bore."
Is bore a vowel or consonant?
The word "bore" starts with the consonant "b."
Is the word bore imperative?
"Bore" can be used in the imperative mood when giving a command, e.g., "Bore a hole here."
What is the third form of bore?
The third form of "bore" is "bored."
What is the plural form of bore?
The verb "bore" does not have a plural form; when used as a noun referring to a boring person, the plural can be "bores."
Which determiner is used with bore?
Determiners used with "bore" depend on its noun usage, e.g., "a bore," "the bore."
Which article is used with bore?
The article used with "bore" depends on the specific context and whether it is being used as a noun or verb in the sentence.
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Written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
