as in boredom
physical or mental inertness shocked by news of impending layoffs, the workers shuffled through their shift in a quiet stupor

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How does the noun stupor contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of stupor are languor, lassitude, lethargy, and torpor. While all these words mean "physical or mental inertness," stupor implies a deadening of the mind and senses by shock, narcotics, or intoxicants.

lapsed into an alcoholic stupor

When is languor a more appropriate choice than stupor?

The words languor and stupor can be used in similar contexts, but languor suggests inertia induced by an enervating climate or illness or love.

languor induced by a tropical vacation

When would lassitude be a good substitute for stupor?

The synonyms lassitude and stupor are sometimes interchangeable, but lassitude stresses listlessness or indifference resulting from fatigue or poor health.

a depression marked by lassitude

Where would lethargy be a reasonable alternative to stupor?

In some situations, the words lethargy and stupor are roughly equivalent. However, lethargy implies such drowsiness or aversion to activity as is induced by disease, injury, or drugs.

months of lethargy followed my accident

When is it sensible to use torpor instead of stupor?

While the synonyms torpor and stupor are close in meaning, torpor implies a state of suspended animation as of hibernating animals but may suggest merely extreme sluggishness.

a once alert mind now in a torpor

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 stupor Symptoms of the more serious illness include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis, according to the CDC. Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 28 July 2025 Ozzy canceled shows, or performed in a stupor, and sometimes attacked his bandmates. Scott Simon, NPR, 26 July 2025 By contrast, Sue’s insistence that everything will be all right is so plainly unrealistic that the audience is waiting for some actual catastrophe to shake her out of her stupor. Eliana Dockterman, Time, 25 July 2025 Even a bear attack can’t rouse me from this stupor. Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for stupor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stupor
Noun
  • The floor spattered with boredom and apathy.
    Zuzana Říhová, Literary Hub, 26 Sep. 2025
  • Some dogs chew toys gently, while others tear them apart due to boredom, a strong prey drive, teething, or even attention-seeking.
    Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Panleukopenia - lethargy, depression, vomiting, diarrhea, painful abdomen, dehydration, weight loss, rough or unkempt hair coat, fever, decreased to absent appetite or collapse.
    Noe Padilla, IndyStar, 25 Sep. 2025
  • Per the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), symptoms of parvovirus can include lethargy, loss of appetite, vomiting, severe and often bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain and bloating, and fever or low body temperature (hypothermia).
    Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Bears do not truly hibernate, but instead enervate, or enter a state of torpor, in their dens.
    Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 25 Sep. 2025
  • The Kaufman-esque sequence that chases an ever-balding Mike through his movie roles and towards his destiny is great fun to watch, but ultimately calls our attention to the relative torpor that surrounds it.
    David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 7 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Stupor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stupor. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

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