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

That deficit set off a litany of Boise chances in the final 10 minutes. — Idaho Statesman, 3 July 2026

Ronaldo and Yamal join the litany of soccer’s biggest names who have played at AT&T Stadium this tournament, including Argentina’s Lionel Messi twice, England’s Harry Kane and Norway’s Erling Haaland. — Jim Barnes july 2, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 July 2026

For now, there’s simply not enough clean power available, Hurst said, because of the familiar litany of bottlenecks with permitting and grid interconnection. — Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 1 July 2026

There’s a litany of artists that even in their time didn’t actually have a fan base, and years later, people go, oh, this is really good. — Jonathan Cohen, SPIN, 1 July 2026

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

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

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