3. Lassitude morale, impression de vide engendrant la mélancolie, produites par le désœuvrement, le manque d'intérêt, la monotonie (au singulier seulement) : À la campagne je meurs d'ennui.
Émile Chartier, dit Alain (Mortagne-au-Perche 1868-Le Vésinet 1951) L'ennui est une sorte de jugement d'avance. Minerve ou De la sagesse, Gallimard
Henri Frédéric Amiel (Genève 1821-Genève 1881) On se lasse d'être quarante ans dans sa propre compagnie ; on finit par se subir comme un ennui et se traîner comme un boulet. Journal intime, 20 septembre 1866
Aristote (Stagire 384-Chalcis 322 avant J.-C.) Toute chose nécessaire est par nature ennuyeuse. Métaphysique, IV, 5 (traduction J. Tricot)
Commentaire Citation d'Événos de Paros, sophiste et poète du Ve siècle av J.C.
Jules Amédée Barbey d'Aurevilly (Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte 1808-Paris 1889) […] Les passions tendent toujours à diminuer, tandis que l'ennui tend toujours à s'accroître. Une vieille maîtresse
Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (Belley 1755-Paris 1826) La table est le seul endroit où l'on ne s'ennuie jamais pendant la première heure. Physiologie du goût
Gaston Arman deCaillavet (Paris 1869-Essendiéras, Dordogne, 1915) et Robert Pellevé de La Motte-Ango, marquis de Flers (Pont-l'Évêque 1872-Vittel 1927) Académie française, 1920 et Emmanuel Arène (1856-1908) Les choses ennuyeuses ont toujours un prestige que les choses amusantes n'ont pas. Le Roi, Librairie théâtrale
Henri Calet (Paris 1903-Vence 1956) Pour que je travaille, il me faut m'enfermer à double tour dans l'ennui. Acteur et témoin, Mercure de France
François René, vicomte de Chateaubriand (Saint-Malo 1768-Paris 1848) Tout me lasse : je remorque avec peine mon ennui avec mes jours, et je vais partout bâillant ma vie. Mémoires d'outre-tombe
Eugène Delacroix (Saint-Maurice, Val-de-Marne, 1798-Paris 1863) Le secret de n'avoir pas d'ennuis, pour moi du moins, c'est d'avoir des idées. Journal, 14 juillet 1850
Eugène Fromentin (La Rochelle 1820-Saint-Maurice, commune de La Rochelle, 1876) Sais-tu quel est mon plus grand souci ? C'est de tuer l'ennui. Celui qui rendrait ce service à l'humanité serait le vrai destructeur des monstres. Dominique
abbé Ferdinando Galiani (Chieti 1728-Naples 1787) Toutes les méthodes agréables d'apprendre aux enfants les sciences sont fausses et absurdes, car il n'est pas question d'apprendre ni la géographie ni la géométrie, il est question de s'accoutumer au travail, c'est-à-dire à l'ennui. Lettre à Mme d'Épinay
abbé Ferdinando Galiani (Chieti 1728-Naples 1787) L'éducation tout entière se réduit à ces deux enseignements : apprendre à supporter l'injustice et apprendre à souffrir l'ennui. Tutta l'educazione si riduce a questi due insegnamenti : imparare a sopportare l'ingiustizia e imparare a soffrir la noia. Lettere, 3 avril 1773
Julien Green (Paris 1900-Paris 1998) Académie française, 1971 L'ennui est un des visages de la mort. Journal, Plon
Commentaire C'est en 1839, dans un discours à la Chambre des députés, que Lamartine lança cette phrase fameuse : « La France est une nation qui s'ennuie. » Quelques années plus tard, il rendit lui-même témoignage du succès de sa formule dans un autre discours, prononcé à Mâcon : « J'ai dit, il y a quelques années, à la tribune, un mot qui a fait le tour du monde[…] j'ai dit un jour : La France s'ennuie ! »
Giacomo Leopardi (Recanati, Marches, 1798-Naples 1837) Les maux sont moins néfastes au bonheur que l'ennui. I mali sono meno dannosi alla felicità che la noia. Zibaldone, III, 229
Stéphane Mallarmé (Paris 1842-Valvins, Seine-et-Marne, 1898) Ô miroir ! Eau froide par l'ennui dans ton cadre gelée […]. Poésies, Hérodiade
Stéphane Mallarmé (Paris 1842-Valvins, Seine-et-Marne, 1898) Et toi, sors des étangs léthéens et ramasse En t'en venant la vase et les pâles roseaux, Cher Ennui, pour boucher d'une main jamais lasse Les grands trous bleus que font méchamment les oiseaux. Poésies, l'Azur
Henry Millon de Montherlant (Paris 1895-Paris 1972) Académie française, 1960 Tout ce qui n'est pas passion est sur un fond d'ennui. Aux fontaines du désir, Gallimard
Henry Millon de Montherlant (Paris 1895-Paris 1972) Académie française, 1960 Le bonheur ne m'ennuie jamais. Carnets, Gallimard
Charles Nodier (Besançon 1780-Paris 1844) Académie française, 1833 Tous les hommes qui s'ennuient dans une planète passent leur pauvre vie à en aller chercher une autre. Léviathan le Long
Commentaire Chaque citation des Pensées porte en référence un numéro. Celui-ci est le numéro que porte dans l'édition Brunschvicg - laquelle demeure aujourd'hui la plus généralement répandue - le fragment d'où la citation est tirée.
Marcel Proust (Paris 1871-Paris 1922) Il y a des moments de la vie où une sorte de beauté naît de la multiplicité des ennuis qui nous assaillent […]. À la recherche du temps perdu, la Fugitive , Gallimard
Jean Racine (La Ferté-Milon 1639-Paris 1699) Dans l'Orient désert quel devint mon ennui ! Bérénice, I, 4, Antiochus
Jules Renard (Châlons, Mayenne, 1864-Paris 1910) La peur de l'ennui est la seule excuse du travail. Journal, 10 septembre 1892 , Gallimard
Jacques Rigaut (Paris 1899-Paris 1929) L'ennui, c'est la vérité à l'état pur. Écrits, Papiers posthumes , Gallimard
François Marie Arouet, dit Voltaire (Paris 1694-Paris 1778) L'homme est né pour vivre dans les convulsions de l'inquiétude ou dans la léthargie de l'ennui. Candide
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