languid
Americanadjective
-
lacking in vigor or vitality; slack or slow.
a languid manner.
-
lacking in spirit or interest; listless; indifferent.
- Synonyms:
- spiritless
-
drooping or flagging from weakness or fatigue; faint.
- Antonyms:
- vigorous
adjective
-
without energy or spirit
-
without interest or enthusiasm
-
sluggish; inactive
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of languid
First recorded in 1590–1600, languid is from the Latin word languidus “faint”; see languish, -id 4
Explanation
Describe a slow-moving river or a weak breeze or a listless manner with the slightly poetic adjective, languid. Languid comes from the Latin verb, languere, "to be weak or faint" and is a somewhat literary word for something that doesn't use much energy. If someone says goodbye to you with a languid wave of the hand, there's not too much movement involved. You can describe yourself as languid when you have that feeling of not being entirely awake — kind of lazy in the mind.
Vocabulary lists containing languid
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Their Eyes Were Watching God
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Grade 10, List 6
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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.
The film revels in languid establishing shots of the Santa Clara Valley, with the hilly Diablo Range in the background.
From Salon • Jun. 8, 2026
Summer was made for slow, languid days and stories that linger long after the final page.
From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026
Mr. Brownlee’s tenor proved rock-solid in Arturo’s demanding music, from his exquisitely relaxed, almost languid opening aria, “A te, o cara,” to some punishing high Fs.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026
Editors spend the languid first episode trying to give each new cast member enough time to stand out, but only Venus, Marcus, Chris and Kim have what it takes to become America’s Next Top Trainwreck.
From Salon • Dec. 2, 2025
Except for this moment, Smith, and Hickock too, affected a courtroom attitude that was simultaneously uninterested and disinterested; they chewed gum and tapped their feet with languid impatience as the state summoned its first witness.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
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.
