Describes a state of having nothing to do and feeling restless or out of place. Often used with そう or に to describe someone's appearance or manner.
See also: 所在無い
He was idly gazing out the window.
The meeting dragged on, and everyone looked bored and restless.
Standard spelling using なげ as okurigana.
Alternate spelling using the kanji 無 for な. Less common but still seen.
Derived from 所在 (whereabouts, something to do) + 無い (not exist) → 所在無い (having nothing to do). The -げ form adds the nuance of 'appearing to be'.