languidly
Americanadverb
-
in a way that lacks vitality or energy; lazily.
Because sloths move so languidly, and they don't groom themselves, algae often grows in their fur.
The day was overly warm, and Em was swinging idly in the hammock, languidly sipping from a glass of lemonade.
-
in a way that lacks spirit or interest.
We filed slowly and languidly into the massive lecture hall.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of languidly
Explanation
If you do something languidly, you do it slowly and without haste. On a hot summer day, you might relax outside in a lawn chair, languidly sipping a glass of lemonade and watching the clouds drift by. The adverb languidly comes from the Latin word languere, meaning "be weak or faint." When you do something such as run or climb stairs languidly, you probably do appear weak or sluggish. The word has a peaceful and relaxed connotation, however — if you do something languidly you aren't trying very hard and you aren't worrying much about it. You may chat languidly with your friends on a summer day while sipping tea on the patio.
Vocabulary lists containing languidly
The Great Gatsby
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The Sun Also Rises
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Selection Vocabulary 3, Unit 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Originally painted with one strap languidly falling from the shoulder, Sargent’s portrait created a stir in late-1800s Paris.
From Salon • May 6, 2026
Children sit in the shade and play languidly with rocks.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 20, 2023
The first came in Brazil's opening group game against Czechoslovakia when Pele, from several yards inside the centre circle in his own half, received the ball languidly then spotted keeper Ivo Viktor off his line.
From BBC • Dec. 29, 2022
Koppe, on the floor, poses languidly, arching off the ground in suggestions of levitation, tilting her head way back.
From New York Times • Sep. 11, 2022
Now she rose languidly and walked slowly through the heat to the fountain in the center of the courtyard of her apartment.
From "Tiger, Tiger" by Lynne Reid Banks
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
