litany
a ceremonial or liturgical form of prayer consisting of a series of invocations or supplications with responses that are the same for a number in succession.
the Litany, the supplication in this form in the Book of Common Prayer.
a recitation or recital that resembles a litany.
a prolonged or tedious account: We heard the whole litany of their complaints.
Origin of litany
1Other words for litany
Words that may be confused with litany
- litany , liturgy
Words Nearby litany
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use litany in a sentence
The audit from the safety commission, an independent agency Congress created two years ago to oversee Metrorail safety after a litany of problems, had wide-ranging effects.
Today in D.C.: Headlines to start your Friday in D.C., Maryland and Virginia | Dana Hedgpeth, Teddy Amenabar | December 11, 2020 | Washington PostBetween the Q4 rush, the abbreviated weeks due to bank holidays, and having to juggle a litany of “real world” holiday prep, the holidays for people like you and me often leave us feeling like we have more work than there are hours in the day.
Five SEO tips that capture holiday attention and boost sales | Houston Barnett-Gearhart | December 8, 2020 | Search Engine WatchI put it through a litany of tests on resource-hungry apps with advanced graphics and lots of on-screen action, and it didn’t flinch.
The iPhone 12 Pro is a big upgrade even without the 5G hype | Stan Horaczek | October 28, 2020 | Popular-Science“Our strength is in solidarity,” they say in the video, which also has English subtitles, and which features a litany of tech industry workers, many of whom say that state harassment could lead to the destruction of the tech industry in Belarus.
Belarus tech industry rallies around arrested PandaDoc colleagues in new video | Mike Butcher | September 11, 2020 | TechCrunchThe Sydney-based outfit started in 1975 and quickly accrued a litany of world firsts—first commercial cycling trips in China, first commercial descent of Tasmania’s Franklin River, first group treks in Mongolia.
But does anyone think this litany of tasks is an appropriate use of physician time?
There has since been a shocking litany of thousands of cases of physical and sexual abuse of children.
Irish Care Home Scandal Grows As Children Revealed To Be Used As Vaccine Guinea Pigs | Tom Sykes | June 10, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTWell, despite the litany of issues at hand, this is an absolute win-win for Jackson.
The Knicks Aren't a Sports Team. They're a Reality Show, and Phil Jackson is Their Latest Star. | Robert Silverman | March 12, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAt which point you might recite the now-standard litany of “dark” Disney secrets.
The Real Walt Disney, Not the ‘Saving Mr. Banks’ Version | Andrew Romano | December 14, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTFink ran through a litany of concerns: China, Japan, “the nonsense in Washington,” the Federal Reserve.
Wall Street CEOs Say It’s The Best of Times and The Worst of Times | Daniel Gross | November 12, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTIf you can stand a few hours of talk from an old smacksman you may hear a sombre litany of horror.
The Chequers | James RuncimanThe invocation, "Queen conceived without the stain of original sin," was added to the litany of Loreto.
Mary, Help of Christians | Various"Happen he gi' him both, and throwed in th' litany," shouted another.
That Lass O' Lowrie's | Frances Hodgson BurnettAnd she whispered back: "They will pray for those that travel by water in the litany."
Fifty-Two Stories For Girls | VariousHe then repeated a portion of the litany of the Episcopal church, with apparent fervor.
British Dictionary definitions for litany
/ (ˈlɪtənɪ) /
Christianity
a form of prayer consisting of a series of invocations, each followed by an unvarying response
the Litany the general supplication in this form included in the Book of Common Prayer
any long or tedious speech or recital
Origin of litany
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for litany
In many religions, a ritual repetition of prayers. Usually a clergyman or singer chants a prayer, and the congregation makes a response, such as “Lord, have mercy.”
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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