退屈
たいくつ · taikutsu · JLPT N3 · na-adj
tedium
⏳ 退屈 = retreat + bend: you back off and give in when there's nothing to do
Originally a Buddhist term for a monk who retreats (退) and yields (屈) when practice gets too hard. Over time the meaning moved from losing heart to being bored and weary. Sound hook: so bored you're TIred and KUTSU (shoes) come off.
退 — walk radical 辶 + 艮 (stop/halt)
退 combines the walking/movement radical 辶 with 艮, which carries a sense of stopping or turning back. Together they depict the action of moving backward or withdrawing. The original sense of retreating or stepping back has remained stable through history.