as in boredom
physical or mental inertness shocked by news of impending layoffs, the workers shuffled through their shift in a quiet stupor

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How does the noun stupor contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of stupor are languor, lassitude, lethargy, and torpor. While all these words mean "physical or mental inertness," stupor implies a deadening of the mind and senses by shock, narcotics, or intoxicants.

lapsed into an alcoholic stupor

When is languor a more appropriate choice than stupor?

The words languor and stupor can be used in similar contexts, but languor suggests inertia induced by an enervating climate or illness or love.

languor induced by a tropical vacation

When would lassitude be a good substitute for stupor?

The synonyms lassitude and stupor are sometimes interchangeable, but lassitude stresses listlessness or indifference resulting from fatigue or poor health.

a depression marked by lassitude

Where would lethargy be a reasonable alternative to stupor?

In some situations, the words lethargy and stupor are roughly equivalent. However, lethargy implies such drowsiness or aversion to activity as is induced by disease, injury, or drugs.

months of lethargy followed my accident

When is it sensible to use torpor instead of stupor?

While the synonyms torpor and stupor are close in meaning, 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 stupor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In an angry, drunken stupor, my client returned to the store, confronted the young clerk, and stabbed him in the heart. Emilio "emi" Benitez, Sun Sentinel, 26 June 2024 Perez was speeding through Astoria, Queens, in a drunken stupor about 4 a.m. Thursday when his Nissan Altima blew past three stop signs and collided with a Honda Ridgeline SUV near 47th St. and 28th Ave., police and prosecutors said. Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 24 Feb. 2024 Anker’s nonslip base for earbuds is also considerably wider and has raised edges, which is great during a groggy stupor. Quentyn Kennemer, The Verge, 7 June 2024 Modi’s nationalism has thrown the entire opposition into a kind of intellectual stupor. Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Foreign Affairs, 20 Sep. 2019 See all Example Sentences for stupor 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stupor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Thesaurus Entries Near stupor

Cite this Entry

“Stupor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stupor. Accessed 29 Sep. 2024.

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