Definition of stupornext
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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 Last year, many were convinced American politics would be destabilized by videos manipulated by artificial intelligence, or lulled into a post-truth stupor by AI slop. Ben Smith, semafor.com, 9 Feb. 2026 Spotlight The Welcome Demise of Climate Change Catastrophism Is the American Left finally waking up from its decades-long climate catastrophism stupor? Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025 Binging the best Thanksgiving episodes in a post-meal stupor is one way to cope with a less-than-lovely holiday. Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Nov. 2025 While Vid stubbornly refuses to leave and sometimes descends into a drunken stupor, Dule observes his father with a dreamlike wonder — a wonder that Jovanović realized came from his own point of view as a child. Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 21 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for stupor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stupor
Noun
  • His father bought him the plane ticket after Jeffrey found himself in a bit of a boredom rut with friends and getting into the wrong kind of trouble.
    Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
  • Only Clark’s passivity seems more out of the boredom of having peaked at local-news celebrity status than anything else.
    Andy Andersen, Vulture, 9 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Just a nibble on a leaf or petal can lead to rapid kidney damage with loss of appetite, vomiting, hypersalivation, lethargy and sometimes neurological signs such as stumbling, tremors and seizures.
    The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Mar. 2026
  • This was team-wide lethargy by a club that was without leading scorer Travis Konecny (upper-body injury) for the second straight game and defenseman Nick Seeler (lower-body injury), who was hurt Monday in Toronto.
    Kevin Kurz, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • This period of dormancy is referred to as torpor, as bears reduce activity and stay largely inside their warm dens.
    Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 11 Mar. 2026
  • Will his cannon shot across the bow of democracy rouse them from their torpor?
    Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Stupor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stupor. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.

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