Definition of languidnext
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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective languid differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of languid are lackadaisical, languorous, listless, and spiritless. While all these words mean "lacking energy or enthusiasm," languid refers to an unwillingness or inability to exert oneself due to fatigue or physical weakness.

was depressed and languid for weeks after surgery

When could lackadaisical be used to replace languid?

The synonyms lackadaisical and languid are sometimes interchangeable, but lackadaisical implies a carefree indifference marked by half-hearted efforts.

lackadaisical college seniors pretending to study

When is it sensible to use languorous instead of languid?

While the synonyms languorous and languid are close in meaning, languorous suggests a dreamy boredom and delicacy that avoids unnecessary activity.

languorous cats lying in the sun

When is listless a more appropriate choice than languid?

The words listless and languid are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, listless suggests a lack of interest caused by physical weakness or dissatisfied boredom.

listless hospital patients
listless children flipping through picture books on a rainy day

In what contexts can spiritless take the place of languid?

Although the words spiritless and languid have much in common, spiritless refers to a lack of animation or vigor that gives one's actions and words life.

a spiritless recital of the poem

Example 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 languid There are plenty of people who have never listened to country radio who are finding it through pop radio or social media or word of mouth or even through Drake’s languid remake featuring Don Toliver (though Langley’s cameo is now out of the video). — Katie Atkinson, Billboard, 23 Sep. 2026 These are primal thrills most viewers can get behind, and having to slow down to explain the morality behind them makes for languid viewing. — Siddhant Adlakha, IndieWire, 21 Sep. 2026 To me, the two nude figures in languid declination seemed, saliently, to be melting in the heat of a summer day, but their triton-wielding and breast-cupping poses must certainly have also invited debate centuries before. — Scott Laird, Travel + Leisure, 17 Sep. 2026 First-act setups extend through the majority of the 108-minute runtime, constituting a plotless meander without the aesthetic allure to justify such a languid journey. — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for languid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for languid
Adjective
  • But my favorite meals of each day were the long languorous breakfasts in the Salone Reale, among the grandest rooms in the hotel.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
  • She should still be blamed for giving in to the allure of billboards ten feet tall with languorous models.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 31 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • The age-old advice of keeping your passwords secure and being wary of suspicious emails is more important than ever as hackers gain more sophisticated tools and use AI to find more of the internet’s weak points.
    — Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Analysts expect profits and assets to cover the dividend through weaker timber periods.
    — Sebastien Chasse, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Guests also have access to a sunny terrace and a shared pool, ideal for leisurely afternoons.
    — Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2026
  • But for me the wow factor started weeks out with a leisurely but extremely detailed call with a kindly staffer who took down all of our details.
    — Kate Berlant, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • With his team facing fourth-and-3, his deficit at 21-7 early in the third quarter and his offense teetering between flat and listless, Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski stood on the sideline, eyed his players and clapped his hands.
    — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The Chargers, meantime, opened with three losses for the first time since 2017, and feature a listless, sputtering offense that lacks finish under first-year offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • In 1937, Foyles started the Right Book Club, a rather feeble counterweight to Victor Gollancz’s Left Book Club.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The probe’s landing gear is designed to absorb the energy of each landing to mitigate the risk of tipping over or bouncing back into space, a real concern with the feeble and uneven gravity field on Phobos.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 20 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • The song develops into a slow-burn, lighters-up jam, its long, unhurried coda like getting lost in a sea of echoing, overlapping memories.
    — Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Protein and fiber slow digestion, supporting satiety and healthy blood sugar regulation.
    — Jillian Kubala, HEALTH, 22 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • And most of us are tired of paying for the playthings of millionaires and billionaires.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Airbnb guests who are tired of spending the final hour of their vacation stripping beds and scrubbing pans are about to get a break.
    — Lena Borrelli, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Less than a month after acquiring McCarthy in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings, the Giants are turning to the 23-year-old quarterback to try to lead them to the playoffs in a weakened NFC East.
    — Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Most enamel-repair products rely on remineralization, which puts minerals back into weakened enamel using ingredients like fluoride, calcium, phosphate or hydroxyapatite.
    — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Languid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/languid. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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