Etymology

doldrums

dol·drums
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Today it means: Usually preceded by the: a state of apathy or lack of interest; a situation where one feels boredom, ennui, or tedium; a state of listlessness or malaise. Full definition →

Middle English dold
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The story

  1. Middle English · derived fromdold
  2. English todaydoldrums

From obsolete doldrum (“slothful or stupid person”) plus the plural suffix -s. Doldrum is possibly derived from dull or Middle English dold (past participle of dullen, dollen (“to make or become blunt or dull; to make or become dull-witted or stupid; to make or become inactive”), from dul, dol, dolle (“not sharp, blunt, dull; not quick-witted, stupid; lethargic, sluggish”); see further at dull), modelled after tantrum.

Words from the same roots

Middle Englishdold all →

doldrum

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.