torpor

noun

tor·​por ˈtȯr-pər 

1

a

: a state of mental and motor inactivity with partial or total insensibility

b

: a state of lowered physiological activity typically characterized by reduced metabolism, heart rate, respiration, and body temperature that occurs in varying degrees especially in hibernating and estivating animals

2

: apathy, dullness

Did you know?

The English word torpor is a 13th-century borrowing from Latin: torpōr-, torpor mean "numbness, paralysis, absence of energy, lethargy," and correspond to the Latin verb torpēre, meaning "to be numb, lack sensation; to be struck motionless; to be sluggish or lethargic." Early use of the English word is found in a 13th-century guide for religious recluses, where it refers to a spiritual or intellectual lethargy, but scant evidence of the word appears between that point and the 1600s, when the word began to be used in reference to both mental and physical sluggishness. The related adjective torpid (from the Latin adjective torpidus, meaning "numbed" or "paralyzed") has since the 15th century been used to mean "numb," but today it more often means "lacking in energy or vigor."

Synonyms

• apathy
• casualness
• complacence
• disinterestedness
• disregard
• incuriosity
• incuriousness
• indifference
• insouciance
• nonchalance
• unconcern

Choose the Right Synonym for torpor

lethargy, languor, lassitude, stupor, torpor mean physical or mental inertness.

lethargy implies such drowsiness or aversion to activity as is induced by disease, injury, or drugs.

months of lethargy followed my accident

languor suggests inertia induced by an enervating climate or illness or love.

languor induced by a tropical vacation

lassitude stresses listlessness or indifference resulting from fatigue or poor health.

a depression marked by lassitude

stupor implies a deadening of the mind and senses by shock, narcotics, or intoxicants.

lapsed into an alcoholic stupor

torpor implies a state of suspended animation as of hibernating animals but may suggest merely extreme sluggishness.

a once alert mind now in a torpor

Examples of torpor in a Sentence

The news aroused him from his torpor.

after a lifetime of setbacks, defeats, and failures, he could only greet the latest bad news with a resigned fatalism and dull torpor

Recent Examples on the Web

To be ready to meet the day, for example, the birds begin to rouse from their torpor about an hour before sunrise, well before visible light cues. —Bob Holmes, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Oct. 2024

What remains of the country’s opposition is now in exile — where they have been joined by those who awakened from this torpor. —Sarah A. Topol, New York Times, 20 Sep. 2024

And blessed be John Leguizamo for coming out at the two-hour mark to shatter the torpor with his razor-sharp ripping of DEI critics and bigots. —Dominic Patten, Deadline, 15 Sep. 2024

This gestures to its deep meaning as a symbol of wisdom, of one’s awakening into knowledge from the torpor of ignorance. —Archana Venkatesan, The Conversation, 14 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Latin torpōr-, torpor "numbness, paralysis, absence of energy, lethargy," s-stem noun derivative corresponding to the stative verb torpēre "to be numb, lack sensation, be struck motionless, be sluggish or lethargic" — more at torpid

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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Kids Definition

torpor

noun

tor·​por ˈtȯr-pər 

1

a

: temporary loss or suspension of motion or feeling

b

: a state of lowered bodily activity (as during hibernation) that is a response to an unfavorable environmental condition (as cold or drought)

2

: apathy

Medical Definition

torpor

noun

tor·​por ˈtȯr-pər 

: a state of mental and motor inactivity with partial or total insensibility : extreme sluggishness or stagnation of function