languid

adjective

lan·​guid ˈlaŋ-gwəd How to pronounce languid (audio)
1
: drooping or flagging from or as if from exhaustion : weak
arms too languid with happiness to embrace himJohn Galsworthy
2
: sluggish in character or disposition : listless
proceeded at a languid pace
3
: lacking force or quickness of movement : slow
languidly adverb
languidness noun

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What Is the Difference Between languid and languorous?

Lack, lack, lack. Languid is all about lack. Depending on its context, the word can suggest a lack of strength, lack of energy, or lack of activity. The lack-of-strength sense of languid describes the kind of sluggishness that often results from fatigue or weakness, as in “the illness left her feeling languid.” The lack-of-energy sense is synonymous with listless, and often describes someone’s character or disposition as a result of dissatisfaction or sadness. Lastly, there’s the lack-of-activity sense of languid, as in “investors are worried about the languid stock market.” So languid is a total bummer, right? Not so (ahem) fast! Sometimes it’s a good thing to dillydally, and languid has also long been used to describe stretches of time—think afternoons, days, summers, etc.—that are relatively and perhaps pleasantly chill.

Choose the Right Synonym for languid

languid, languorous, lackadaisical, listless, spiritless 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

languorous suggests a dreamy boredom and delicacy that avoids unnecessary activity.

languorous cats lying in the sun

lackadaisical implies a carefree indifference marked by half-hearted efforts.

lackadaisical college seniors pretending to study

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

spiritless refers to a lack of animation or vigor that gives one's actions and words life.

a spiritless recital of the poem

Examples of languid in a Sentence

They proceeded at a languid pace. It was a hot, languid summer day.
Recent Examples on the Web There exists a long history of the dying muse, beautiful, feverish, and doomed: In 1852, the artist’s model Elizabeth Siddal posed as Hamlet’s Ophelia for the pre-Raphaelites, her languid sickliness attributed to tuberculosis by her peers. Rhian Sasseen, The Atlantic, 14 Oct. 2024 Just eating, reading, resting and enjoying these surroundings in such a languid fashion is hard to beat. Delilah Khomo, theweek, 3 Oct. 2024 But this is a major work from a richly maturing filmmaker, of a piece with his recent fiction features in its use of languid repetition and sensory saturation to pull the audience into something approaching a discomfiting dream state. Guy Lodge, Variety, 28 Sep. 2024 The beach, like a number of others along this languid Northern California river, was marked as private property, roped off with floating buoys emblazoned with stark red signs warning the public away. Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for languid 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'languid.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle French languide, from Latin languidus, from languēre to languish — more at slack

First Known Use

1595, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of languid was in 1595

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Cite this Entry

“Languid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/languid. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

languid

adjective
lan·​guid ˈlaŋ-gwəd How to pronounce languid (audio)
1
: weak from or as if from exhaustion
2
: lacking spirit : listless
3
: lacking force or quickness of movement : slow
languidly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on languid

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