leiðist

leiðist is an Icelandic verb meaning to become bored or to feel that something is tedious. It is used to describe a person’s subjective sense of weariness or lack of interest in an activity, task, or situation. The tone is emotional rather than descriptive of objective quality; for that, Icelandic uses the adjective leiðinlegur/leiðinlegt/leiðinlegt and the noun leiðindi.

Usage and constructions

The verb is commonly used with the dative pronoun mér to indicate who experiences the boredom. For example, Mér leiðist að sitja inni allan daginn translates roughly to “I am bored sitting inside all day.” Mér leiðist að vinna or Mér leiðist þessi verkefni convey boredom with work or with these tasks. It can also describe a situation that is tedious, for instance: Þetta er leiðinlegt meaning “This is boring,” with leiðinlegt functioning as the related adjective rather than the verb.

Etymology and related forms

The sense of boredom is metaphorically linked to moving along a path or being led along a tedious course. The verb stems from leiða (‘to lead’) and the noun leið (‘way, path’), with a shift in meaning toward the experience of tedium. Related forms include the adjective leiðinlegt (boring/tedious) and the noun leiðindi (tedium, boredom).

Notes

In contrast to the verb, the adjective leiðinlegt is commonly used to describe the quality of something as boring, while leiðist itself emphasizes the feeling of boredom. Proper usage can vary regionally, but Mér leiðist is widely understood as the standard construction for expressing personal boredom in Icelandic.