it was bored

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "it was bored" is not correct in standard English.
The correct form would be "it was boring" if referring to something that causes boredom, or "it was bored" if referring to a subject that is experiencing boredom, but it is less common. Example: "The movie was so dull that it was bored by the end of it."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

England's players are often poor travelers, and when the team underachieved at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, one of its excuses was that it was bored by the regimen of the team's then-coach, the Italian Fabio Capello.

The New York Times - Sports

"At one point, Rowe gave a description where he looked inside the target case from the back end of the bomb, and he said it was bored out to two-thirds the length of the target case," Coster-Mullen recalled.

The New Yorker

Perhaps it was bored with crunching numbers in all those eye-glazing bond documents.

Forbes

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

First it was boring.

Independent

Sure, it was boring.

The New York Times

Because it was boring.

The New York Times

"It was boring to me".

The New York Times

It was boring, they said.

The New York Times

Craig says it was boring.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

"I thought it was boring".

The New York Times

At times, it was boring.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing something causing boredom, use "boring" instead of "bored". "Bored" describes the state of feeling uninterested, while "boring" describes the quality of causing that feeling in others. For example, "The lecture was boring" not "The lecture was bored".

Common error

Avoid using "bored" to describe something that causes boredom. "Bored" describes a feeling, not a characteristic. Instead of saying "The movie was bored", say "The movie was "boring"" or "The movie made me "bored"".

Linguistic Context

The phrase is typically intended to function as a predicate adjective, describing a subject. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase "it was bored" is grammatically questionable. The correct expression should be "it was "boring"".

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "it was bored" appears in some contexts, notably News & Media, Ludwig AI advises that it's not standard English. The grammatically correct and more common alternative is "it was "boring"", which describes something that causes a feeling of boredom. Using "bored" to describe the source of boredom is generally considered incorrect. Therefore, it's advisable to use alternatives like "it was "tedious"" or "it was "uninteresting"" to maintain clarity and grammatical accuracy.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

it was boring

Changes the adjective from 'bored' (experiencing boredom) to 'boring' (causing boredom).

it felt tedious

Replaces "bored" with "tedious", focusing on the feeling of monotonousness.

it was dull

Uses "dull" as a synonym for "boring", indicating a lack of interest or excitement.

it lacked excitement

Expresses the absence of excitement as the reason for boredom.

it was uninteresting

Uses the word "uninteresting" as an alternative to express absence of appeal.

it offered no stimulation

Focuses on the lack of mental or emotional stimulation as the cause.

it was a drag

Uses the informal expression "a drag" to mean something boring or unpleasant.

it was tiresome

Emphasizes the weariness and lack of appeal that resulted from it.

it held no appeal

Highlights the lack of attractiveness or interest.

it became monotonous

Focuses on how it became repetitive and lacking in variety.

FAQs

Is it correct to say "it was bored"?

The phrase "it was bored" is not standard English. It's generally more appropriate to say "it was "boring"" to describe something that causes boredom. "Bored" typically describes the state of a person experiencing boredom.

What's the difference between "it was bored" and "it was boring"?

"It was bored" suggests that something itself experienced boredom, which is unusual. "It was "boring"" means that something caused someone else to feel bored.

How can I rephrase "it was bored" to sound more natural?

Instead of "it was bored", consider alternatives like "it was "tedious"", "it was "dull"", or "it was "uninteresting"" if you mean that something caused boredom. If you're trying to say something experienced boredom, rephrase to specify what experienced the boredom, e.g. "I was bored by it".

When should I use "bored" vs. "boring"?

Use "bored" to describe how a person feels (e.g., "I am bored"). Use ""boring"" to describe something that causes that feeling (e.g., "The movie is boring").