Definition of languidnext
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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective languid differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of languid are lackadaisical, languorous, listless, and spiritless. While all these words 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

When could lackadaisical be used to replace languid?

The synonyms lackadaisical and languid are sometimes interchangeable, but lackadaisical implies a carefree indifference marked by half-hearted efforts.

lackadaisical college seniors pretending to study

When is it sensible to use languorous instead of languid?

While the synonyms languorous and languid are close in meaning, languorous suggests a dreamy boredom and delicacy that avoids unnecessary activity.

languorous cats lying in the sun

When is listless a more appropriate choice than languid?

The words listless and languid are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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

In what contexts can spiritless take the place of languid?

Although the words spiritless and languid have much in common, spiritless refers to a lack of animation or vigor that gives one's actions and words life.

a spiritless recital of the poem

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of languid The second movement begins with a languid viola solo played with velvety elegance by the Philharmonic’s principal, Cynthia Phelps. Justin Davidson, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2026 Many of us long for the days of the old South Beach, with its neighborhood bakeries, languid pace, shabby but genuine character, and the retired people who loved the place. Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026 The debut single from the veteran Midwest emo band’s fourth album is languid, melancholy, and full of guitars—but still pulls off something unexpected. Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 26 Feb. 2026 Couple his extroverted on-pitch personality and his, in theory, imposing 6ft 4in (195cm) frame that can be equally languid and driving in style, Onana should have all the characteristics to play among the elite. Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for languid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for languid
Adjective
  • Cord grass ripples across these languorous northern marshes and, while ships lay wounded and stranded in the former Aral, all that remains of the old Parkgate are some very old photographs, showing frigates, sand, and some very fetching Victorian bathing attire.
    Rob Crossan, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Mar. 2026
  • As at Ha’s Snack Bar, the food is an elegant wallop of neon flavors, foregrounding the punctilious greenness of Vietnamese herbs and the languorous funk of organ meats and offcuts, but now there’s room to breathe, to relax a little, to take it all in, to linger.
    Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • The slide appears to have involved a thick slab of soft snow breaking loose at a weak layer in the snowpack, the report said.
    Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2026
  • Endowed not only with a privileged birthright but—unlike the actual princes over in England, who had weak chins and went bald young—the physical stature to match?
    Jeffrey Eugenides, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Many Parisian restaurants are relatively small, so tables fill up quickly and stay filled because dining is a leisurely event, with tables turning over less frequently.
    Eve Chen, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
  • By the 1950s Madras print in the United States had become a popular style for Ivy League students, gentleman’s business attire, and leisurely vacation wear.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • This sense of being listless without Kane is nothing new.
    Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Smith’s swing capped a six-run ninth for the Braves, who were mostly listless offensively until that point.
    Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Congress has for the most part registered only feeble and ineffective opposition to such executive action.
    Sarah Burns, The Conversation, 4 Mar. 2026
  • Scratches above the dead body reach upward, marks that read as feeble attempts to cling to some semblance of life.
    Anel Rakhimzhanova, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • In fact, businesses hired workers at their slowest pace since 2011, excluding the onset of the pandemic in 2020.
    Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 3 Apr. 2026
  • The area’s large tourist population contributes a constant volume of unfamiliar drivers to already heavily congested roads, with traffic patterns that shift significantly between peak tourist season and the summer months but never truly slow to manageable levels on the area’s major corridors.
    Anton Lucanus April 3, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • For workers who are tired of their jobs following them home every night, and for businesses that are tired of the burnout, the turnover, and the chaos that comes from not having boundaries, Zenzap is the work chat app that changes everything.
    Jason Phillips, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
  • One still gets tired of the Wednesday rice and fish dish.
    Jeremy O. Harris, Vanity Fair, 1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • These categories include young children, older adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems.
    Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Niacin was also found to restore function in weakened immune cells, improving their ability to target and destroy tumor cells.
    Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 31 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Languid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/languid. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.

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