languor
Americannoun
-
lack of energy or vitality; sluggishness.
-
lack of spirit or interest; listlessness; stagnation.
-
physical weakness or faintness.
-
emotional softness or tenderness.
noun
-
physical or mental laziness or weariness
-
a feeling of dreaminess and relaxation
-
oppressive silence or stillness
Etymology
Origin of languor
1250–1300; < Latin ( see languish, -or 1); replacing Middle English langour sickness, woe < Old French < Latin
Explanation
When you are sick or heartbroken and too tired to get out of bed, the listlessness you feel is called languor. It's sluggishness and slowness, but usually with cause. The more commonly used word languish is closely related to languor. If you are languishing or becoming weaker, you are showing languor. Remember that languor implies a heaviness or slowness where there should be lightness or speed. There is no time for languor if you have an exam tomorrow, and you are just beginning to study now. And, a 100 degree day with 70% humidity can inspire languor in just about anyone.
Vocabulary lists containing languor
100 SAT Words Beginning with "J," "K," and "L"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Pride and Prejudice
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Awakening
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
The long sobs / Of the violins / Of autumn / Wound my heart / With a monotonous / Languor.
From Forbes • Sep. 5, 2013
Lassitude and Languor, horrid hags, simply pick up their trailing skirts and scuttle out of any room into which he enters.
From Res Judicat? Papers and Essays by Birrell, Augustine
Languor, hysteria and general debility were regarded as the outward indications of a sweet and gentle character.
From The "Goldfish" by Train, Arthur Cheney
Languor and uneasiness would seize on every one, even the denizens of the forest, betraying it by their motions.
From The Naturalist on the River Amazons by Bates, Henry Walter
Out of the house of life Before him fled away Languor, regret, and strife And sorrow on that day.
From Later Poems by Carman, Bliss
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.
