torpor

noun tor·por \ ˈtȯr-pər \

|Updated on: 3 Jul 2018

Definition of torpor

1 a : a state of mental and motor inactivity with partial or total insensibility

b : a state of lowered physiological activity typically characterized by reduced metabolism, heart rate, respiration, and body temperature that occurs in varying degrees especially in hibernating and estivating animals

2 : apathy, dullness

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Examples of torpor in a Sentence

The news aroused him from his torpor.
after a lifetime of setbacks, defeats, and failures, he could only greet the latest bad news with a resigned fatalism and dull torpor

Recent Examples of torpor from the Web

Maybe the president will quickly snap out of his torpor and either tell Jeff Sessions to fix his mess or jump onto the Senate GOP’s bid to stop the carnage.

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "Is Trump Actually Going to Do Anything About Family Separation?," 20 June 2018
In the video, which dropped Tuesday morning—just hours after the exuberance of Memorial Day barbecues finally faded into workweek torpor—a visibly pregnant Cardi shimmies down the block, adorned in jewel tones and copious statement jewelry.

— hannah giorgis, The Atlantic, "Cardi B’s ‘I Like It’ Is the Song of the Summer," 29 May 2018
But Puerto Rico’s economy has been feeble for years despite the rich diet of debt that, absent vigorous private investment, maintained the island in a recessionary torpor.

— michelle kaske, Bloomberg.com, "Puerto Rico Could Cut Spending to the Bone—and Still Never Recover," 15 Mar. 2018
The narrowing gap between the two yields reflects investors’ confidence that the Fed will maintain its current pace of interest-rate increases despite continuing skepticism that growth will break out of its postcrisis torpor.

— daniel kruger, WSJ, "U.S. Government Bonds Fall, as 10-Year Yield Approaches 3%," 23 Apr. 2018
Equity options volume is off to a record start in 2018, according to a spokeswoman for the Options Clearing Corp., after years of torpor.

— gunjan banerji, WSJ, "Volatility Roars Back With Biggest Quarterly Rise Ever," 30 Mar. 2018
Some of the torpor is no doubt due to interruptions from planned or evolving building and expansion projects.

— christopher knight, latimes.com, "Spring art exhibitions that transport to Laguna, Teotihuacan, Iran and beyond," 22 Mar. 2018
After years of torpor, growth in GDP in France should reach 2% in 2018.

— The Economist, "Mind the gapFrance’s new labour problem—skills shortages," 8 Mar. 2018
Barry, by contrast, is so rooted in its hero’s emotional torpor that when the first episode segues into a zany scene with two Chechen gangsters, it’s jarring.

— sophie gilbert, The Atlantic, "The Dark Humanity of Barry," 22 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'torpor.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Our English word torpor looks the same and means the same thing as Latin torpor, from which it was borrowed into Middle English. It stems from the Latin verb torpēre, which means "to be sluggish or numb." "Torpor" first appeared in a 13th-century guide for religious recluses, where it referred to a spiritual or intellectual lethargy, but there is very little evidence of its use over next the 400 years. It began showing up again in the early 1600s in reference to both mental and physical sluggishness. The related adjective "torpid" (from the Latin adjective torpidus) entered the language in the 15th century.

Origin and Etymology of torpor

Middle English, from Latin, from torpēre

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

torpor Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of torpor

lethargy, languor, lassitude, stupor, torpor mean physical or mental inertness. lethargy implies such drowsiness or aversion to activity as is induced by disease, injury, or drugs.