languor

noun

lan·​guor ˈlaŋ-gər How to pronounce languor (audio)
also -ər
Synonyms of languor
1
: weakness or weariness of body or mind
the languor of convalescence
2
: listless indolence or inertia
languor brought on by a hot summer afternoon

Synonyms of languor

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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 languor in a Sentence

They enjoyed the languor brought on by a hot summer afternoon. They felt an indefinable languor.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Austen wrings a great deal of humor from Lady Bertram’s dopey languor. — Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026 Nothing like a little languor and ennui — and in crisp black-and-white — on the Algerian coast to usher out winter and into spring. — Jay Cannon, USA Today, 25 Oct. 2025 Both for the islanders and for us, the summer shimmers with a hallucinatory mixture of languor and emotional speed, as summers do in childhood. — Lillian Fishman, New Yorker, 27 June 2026 On Girl Violence, Strauss drenches her songs in feedback and languor, adding heat to her expressions of desire and comfort to her feelings of anxiety. — Maura Johnston, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for languor

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French langur, from Latin languor, from languēre

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of languor was in 1646

Rhymes for languor

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Browse Nearby Words

languishment
languor
languorous
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Cite this Entry

“Languor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/languor. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

languor

noun
lan·​guor ˈlaŋ-(g)ər How to pronounce languor (audio)
1
: weakness or weariness of body or mind
2
: a state of dreamy idleness
languorous
-(g)ə-rəs
adjective
languorously adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on languor

Nglish: Translation of languor for Spanish Speakers

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