"Bore, n. A person who talks when you wish him to listen"

Ambrose Bierce’s definition of a “bore” subverts the traditional idea of someone tedious or uninteresting. Rather than simply labeling a bore as someone dull, Bierce sharpens the accusation: a bore is someone who fails to recognize interpersonal cues, who talks at precisely the moment when the listener desires to speak or be heard. The distinction is not in the content but in the disregard for the mutual exchange that makes for enjoyable or meaningful conversation.

Underlying this wit is an observation about human self-absorption. Bierce highlights the fundamental impatience many people feel when confronted with others dominating the conversation. The act of “boring” becomes less about subject matter and more about timing and sensitivity. If someone drones on about a topic when his listener is eager to contribute or respond, the offense is not intellectual monotony, but social deafness. Such a person is heedless of the shifting, implicit signals of dialogue, effectively placing his own speech above the silent wishes of the other.

This interpretation captures a universal experience: moments at social gatherings or even intimate settings where the urge to respond is stifled by someone else’s monologue. Bierce’s humor lies in turning the inconvenience into a pointed observation about self-centeredness. At the same time, there is irony; everyone at some point becomes a bore by talking when others wish to be heard, exposing an undercurrent of humility or perhaps cynicism in Bierce’s worldview.

Through his concise wit, Bierce transforms the word into a mirror. His definition compels readers to recognize themselves in both roles, bore and listener, adding layers of complexity to what might otherwise be a slight insult. Bierce’s remark interrogates not just social irritants but the delicate reciprocity essential to human conversation.