languorous

adjective

lan·​guor·​ous ˈlaŋ-gə-rəs How to pronounce languorous (audio)
-grəs,
 also  -ə-rəs
1
: producing or tending to produce languor
a languorous climate
those hot and languorous southern days
2
: full of or characterized by languor
a languorous soak in the tub may be a rare respite for most womenVogue
languorously adverb
Choose the Right Synonym for languorous

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 languorous in a Sentence

the drummer's languorous playing caused the rest of the band to keep missing the beat
Recent Examples on the Web The former Bob Hope Desert Classic spent a half-century as a five-round pro-am affair in which golf stars mingled with politicians, millionaires and Hollywood royalty for long, languorous rounds. Greg Beacham, USA TODAY, 17 Jan. 2024 Cloaked in the languorous melodies and mellow transitions of Exodus are fiery messages of hope and collectivism. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Feb. 2024 Take the Slow Boat The smartest way to vacation next year might just be on a languorous river cruise. Janice Wald Henderson, Travel + Leisure, 1 Jan. 2024 The fast-talking spikes take 2.6 minutes and the more languorous ones are 14 minutes long. Lloyd Alter, Treehugger, 20 Oct. 2023 In the series, Bozzi, a 32-year veteran of the hospitality industry and spouse of CAA super-agent Bryan Lourd, sits for languorous meals and expansive conversations with some of the boldest names in media. Matt Donnelly, Variety, 11 Sep. 2023 As expected, the trend has garnered a few eye rolls from older generations who think Gen Zers are woefully ill-prepared for corporate America and, quite frankly, languorous. Paige McGlauflin, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2023 The grocery, the drugstore, the Chinese laundry, the newsstand, the grinding rounds her oozing legs could no longer bear: for these services I might be admitted to those sumptuous furnishings and the ornate ladylike figure with her limp and languorous limbs. Cynthia Ozick, The New Yorker, 24 July 2023 Revelry naturally centers on the area's many lakes (swimming, boating, fishing, floating bacchanals, etc.), though there is also plenty to do on land to fill up a languorous warm weather afternoon, from golfing and hiking, to even highbrow arts and culture. Leena Kim, Town & Country, 30 Apr. 2022

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

Word History

First Known Use

1753, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of languorous was in 1753

Dictionary Entries Near languorous

Cite this Entry

“Languorous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/languorous. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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