He, Ann and Lui, all lose first place, because of low interest (5)

I believe the answer is:

ennui

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But I can't explain it at all! Could you help me understand?

(Other definitions for ennui that I've seen before include "doldrums" , "depression" , "Boredom in France" , "Result of boredom" , "Effect of boredom" .)

I've seen this clue in The Hindu.

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