Synonym Chooser

How does the noun languor contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of languor are lassitude, lethargy, stupor, and torpor. While all these words mean "physical or mental inertness," languor suggests inertia induced by an enervating climate or illness or love.

languor induced by a tropical vacation

When is it sensible to use lassitude instead of languor?

While the synonyms lassitude and languor are close in meaning, lassitude stresses listlessness or indifference resulting from fatigue or poor health.

a depression marked by lassitude

When can lethargy be used instead of languor?

The meanings of lethargy and languor largely overlap; however, lethargy implies such drowsiness or aversion to activity as is induced by disease, injury, or drugs.

months of lethargy followed my accident

When could stupor be used to replace languor?

The synonyms stupor and languor are sometimes interchangeable, but stupor implies a deadening of the mind and senses by shock, narcotics, or intoxicants.

lapsed into an alcoholic stupor

When might torpor be a better fit than languor?

While in some cases nearly identical to languor, 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 Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of languor The French Vietnamese director, Tran Anh Hung, is contemporary cinema’s great poet of languor. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 9 Feb. 2024 There are two excellent reasons to savor the series, in all of its languor. Judy Berman, TIME, 4 Apr. 2024 The characters emote with the rich, sticky languor of a lava lamp, and none come to life with the force of those in the works to which Catán nods. Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 17 Nov. 2023 Everyone was ready to shake off the languor of the hot afternoon and welcome in the shade of night. Jacqui Gifford, Travel + Leisure, 16 Nov. 2023 See all Example Sentences for languor 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for languor
Noun
  • But always with a very specific purpose that is never about the kind of anxiety of boredom.
    Adam B. Vary, Variety, 16 Dec. 2024
  • The fear of audience boredom certainly animated Coïc-Gallas to keep finding ways to shift our, and the cat’s, perspective of moving through the world and employ sound with incredible specificity.
    Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 29 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • The biggest risks to the expansion are high inflation and global economic weakness, with a tie for third between the incoming administration’s fiscal policies and the size of the U.S. deficit.
    Steve Liesman, CNBC, 17 Dec. 2024
  • Fatigue Fatigue and weakness are common signs of abnormally high blood sodium levels, known as hypernatremia.
    James Myhre & Dennis Sifris, MD, Verywell Health, 16 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • Also, look for unsteadiness, lethargy, and drowsiness. Seizures.
    Melissa Willets, Parents, 10 Dec. 2024
  • And rich, fatty foods, such as gravy, can contribute to pancreatitis, a painful condition characterized by vomiting and lethargy that requires emergency veterinary care.
    Lisa Bloch, The Mercury News, 10 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • The probe comes after a 114-page report, released earlier this year by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), found that exhaustion, burnout and an overall lack of sleep for controllers — particularly during evening shifts — has hindered safety and led to accidents.
    The Hill Staff, The Hill, 12 Dec. 2024
  • Poor mental health in the workplace can result in burnout and exhaustion, which leads to high turnover rates, failure to meet deadlines or targets and a generally unmotivated workforce.
    Kendra Davenport, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • First, there was the chest-down, sort of squaring-up motion that drunkards do to bouncers, to be followed by a strike which could not even be conceived of in drunken stupors.
    Simon Johnson, The Athletic, 30 June 2024
  • What bold vocabulary could shake me out of my Swift stupor and juice me up for a new Perry release?
    Anne Victoria Clark, Vulture, 18 June 2024
Noun
  • Weakness, fatigue and lightheadedness are among the most noticeable symptoms associated with iron deficiency, says Nance.
    Caroline C. Boyle, USA TODAY, 19 Dec. 2024
  • The intensity being so high is also another problem, with fatigue and injuries eventually catching up to the players.
    Thom Harris, The Athletic, 19 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • But the opinion, written by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., went way further than necessary to insulate Trump from prosecution — not simply before the election, which the court, by its lassitude, had nearly guaranteed, but forever, even in the event that President Biden wins reelection.
    Ruth Marcus, Washington Post, 1 July 2024
  • After so many episodes, there is no lassitude and the Mbappé saga continues to enliven conversations in France’s sports bars.
    SAMUEL PETREQUIN, USA TODAY, 12 Feb. 2024
Noun
  • The shadow of death and debility haunted American women throughout the nineteenth century.
    Jenny Noyce, JSTOR Daily, 28 June 2024
  • According to this view, the outside world has been generous to Africa, providing substantial aid in recent decades, leaving no excuse for the continent’s debility.
    Howard W. French, Foreign Affairs, 16 June 2015

Thesaurus Entries Near languor

Cite this Entry

“Languor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/languor. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on languor

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!