TORPOR Synonyms: 80 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'torpor' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of torpor are languor , lassitude , lethargy , and stupor . While all these words mean "physical or mental inertness," 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

Q: In what contexts can 'languor' take the place of 'torpor'?

The words languor and torpor are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, languor suggests inertia induced by an enervating climate or illness or love. // languor induced by a tropical vacation

Q: When can 'lassitude' be used instead of 'torpor'?

While in some cases nearly identical to torpor , lassitude stresses listlessness or indifference resulting from fatigue or poor health. // a depression marked by lassitude

Q: When would 'lethargy' be a good substitute for 'torpor'?

In some situations, the words lethargy and torpor 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

Q: When is 'stupor' a more appropriate choice than 'torpor'?

While the synonyms stupor and torpor are close in meaning, stupor implies a deadening of the mind and senses by shock, narcotics, or intoxicants. // lapsed into an alcoholic stupor

torpor

noun

ˈtȯr-pər

Definition of torpor next

as in disregard

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

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as in boredom

physical or mental inertness following a gut-busting Thanksgiving dinner, we spent the rest of the day lounging about in a contented torpor

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How does the noun torpor contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of torpor are languor, lassitude, lethargy, and stupor. While all these words mean "physical or mental inertness," 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

In what contexts can languor take the place of torpor?

The words languor and torpor are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, languor suggests inertia induced by an enervating climate or illness or love.

languor induced by a tropical vacation

When can lassitude be used instead of torpor?

While in some cases nearly identical to torpor, lassitude stresses listlessness or indifference resulting from fatigue or poor health.

a depression marked by lassitude

When would lethargy be a good substitute for torpor?

In some situations, the words lethargy and torpor 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 stupor a more appropriate choice than torpor?

While the synonyms stupor and torpor are close in meaning, stupor implies a deadening of the mind and senses by shock, narcotics, or intoxicants.

lapsed into an alcoholic stupor

Examples of torpor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Not too long ago, however, there were films — some good, some bad — that believed that conversational torpor as a byproduct of incomplete identity formation and the awkwardness of incipient or dying romance deserved the big-screen treatment. —

Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2024 The United States is slowly coming around to providing some of the right capabilities, but not in the necessary quantities and not before U.S. torpor degraded Ukraine’s ability to hold and reclaim territory in southern Ukraine and the Donbas. —

Alexander Vindman, Foreign Affairs, 8 Aug. 2022 Many even argued that Tokyo could use the moment to emerge from its torpor and keep the world's then second-largest economy from becoming a global has-been. —

Takashi Yokota, Foreign Affairs, 19 Sep. 2011 The agony of midnight massacre, the frenzy of the ship’s dungeon, the living death of the middle-passage, the wails of separation, the dismal torpor of hopeless servitude—are these found only in the piracy of the slave trade? —

Louis Menand, The New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for torpor

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