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

After every race, his team analyzes a litany of granular data points, including which skis performed best on what kind of snow and which garments correlated with faster results. —Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 2 May 2026

The Nuggets won 54 games despite a litany of injuries. —Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 1 May 2026

His litany of honors includes the Légion d’Honneur and the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in France, Austria’s Decoration of Honour for Science and Art in Vienna, and an honorary professorship at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków. —Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 30 Apr. 2026

Sutter explained that after going through a litany of testing and blood work over the last year, doctors determined that his body is susceptible to taking in mold toxins, which he is frequently exposed to as a firefighter. —Grace Gavilanes, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 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

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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