bore (one) to death
(redirected from bore someone to death)bore (one) to death
To cause one to be extremely bored, to the point of distraction, frustration, or irritation. Today's lecture bored me to death.
bored to death
Extremely bored, especially to the point of distraction, frustration, or irritation. I was bored to death listening to that lecture this afternoon.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
bore to death
Also, bore to tears or bore stiff or bore the pants off. Weary someone through extremely dull talk or uninteresting action. For example, Sam was bored stiff by the opera but didn't dare to admit it, or Carol bores the pants off me with her constant talk of remodeling, or His books bore me to death. All four expression convey the idea of such exasperation that one dies, weeps, stiffens with annoyance, or has one's trousers removed. The verb bore has been used in this sense only since about 1750, and its etymology is unknown. The amplifications were added between about 1850 and 1950. Also see under pants off; talk one's arm off.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
bore to death/tears, to
To be extremely tedious or dull. The literature abounds with epigrams concerning bores. Both of these clichés for being exceedingly boring allegedly date from the nineteenth century and are much duller than, for example, “Society is now one polished horde, formed of two mighty tribes, the Bores and Bored” (Byron, Don Juan), or “Bore, n. A person who talks when you wish him to listen” (Ambrose Bierce, The Devil’s Dictionary).
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer