litany

noun

lit·​a·​ny ˈli-tə-nē 

ˈlit-nē

plural litanies

1

: a prayer consisting of a series of invocations and supplications by the leader with alternate responses by the congregation

the Litany of the Saints

2

a

: a resonant or repetitive chant

a litany of cheering phrases

—Herman Wouk

b

: a usually lengthy recitation or enumeration

a familiar litany of complaints

c

: a sizable series or set

a litany of problems

The drug has a litany of possible side effects.

Did you know?

A Short History of Litany

How do we love the word litany? Let us count the ways. We love its original 13th century meaning, still in use today, referring to a call-and-response prayer in which a series of lines are spoken alternately by a leader and a congregation. We love how litany has developed in the intervening centuries three figurative senses, and we love each of these as well: first, a sense meaning “repetitive chant”; next, the “lengthy recitation” sense owing to the repetitious—and sometimes interminable—nature of the original litany; and finally, an even broader sense referring to any sizeable series or set. Though litanies of this third sort tend to be unpleasant, we choose today to think of the loveliness found in the idea of “a litany of sonnets by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.”

Examples of litany in a Sentence

He has a litany of grievances against his former employer.

The team blamed its losses on a litany of injuries.

Recent Examples on the Web

Rostering seven former Tar Heels, headlined by starting quarterback Conner Harrell and playmaking safety Ja’Qurious Conley, the 49ers have added motivation with the litany of familiar faces donning Carolina blue who will take the visitor’s sideline under the lights at Richardson Stadium. —Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 4 Sep. 2025

The invocation appears like a litany after every mass shooting — and the backlash is just as inevitable. —Peter Smith, Twin Cities, 30 Aug. 2025

The fact that Maggie is Black, and rich, is a secondary powder keg that will blow up later in the story, when the firings start, the litany of cancellations pile up, and recriminations ricochet through the building. —Damon Wise, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2025

Westman, who once attended the school and whose mother worked for the parish before retiring in 2021, left behind several videos and page upon page of writings describing a litany of grievances. —Claudia Lauer, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English letanie, from Anglo-French & Late Latin; Anglo-French, from Late Latin litania, from Late Greek litaneia, from Greek, entreaty, from litanos supplicant

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

litany

noun

lit·​a·​ny ˈlit-ᵊn-ē 

ˈlit-nē

plural litanies

: a prayer consisting of a series of lines spoken alternately by a leader and the congregation