Definition of torpornext

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun torpor contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of torpor are languor, lassitude, lethargy, and stupor. While all these words mean "physical or mental inertness," 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

In what contexts can languor take the place of torpor?

The words languor and torpor are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, languor suggests inertia induced by an enervating climate or illness or love.

languor induced by a tropical vacation

When can lassitude be used instead of torpor?

While in some cases nearly identical to torpor, lassitude stresses listlessness or indifference resulting from fatigue or poor health.

a depression marked by lassitude

When would lethargy be a good substitute for torpor?

In some situations, the words lethargy and torpor 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 stupor a more appropriate choice than torpor?

While the synonyms stupor and torpor are close in meaning, stupor implies a deadening of the mind and senses by shock, narcotics, or intoxicants.

lapsed into an alcoholic stupor

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 torpor Though the idiom of abuse has changed, the critics are as hostile as ever, while their targets react only with curious torpor. David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025 As for Farrell, rarely has a pathological abdication of responsibility been so uncannily conveyed; he’s well matched by his The Beguiled co-star, Nicole Kidman, who cuts through the body-snatcher torpor of the material with her growing rage and panic. A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025 Research with species such as the ground squirrel shows tau hyperphosphorylation occurs in the brain in torpor during hibernation and then reverses when the animals wake up. Robert Martone, Scientific American, 10 Oct. 2025 Rip wakes from his torpor not just on any day, but on an election day, which allows Irving to magnify his hero’s disorientation. John Swansburg, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for torpor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torpor
Noun
  • But hazards hover both in the turning weather, a threat in particular to Flor’s severe asthma, and in Junior’s work environment, where he’s treated with racist disregard by his co-workers, while locals incensed by the company’s violation of the forest make vengeful overtures.
    Guy Lodge, Variety, 22 Feb. 2026
  • Hundreds of Buddhist monks rallied in the capital of Sri Lanka on Friday to protest alleged government disrespect of their religion and disregard for a long-standing tradition that they be consulted in matters of state.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Pets staying at home alone while owners work suffer from boredom, which can cause chronic psychological distress and health problems.
    Margret Grebowicz, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2026
  • But the flip side of such routine is the potential for boredom and lethargy.
    Big Think, Big Think, 10 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • And with the proliferation of small presses and the ascendance of self publishing as viable, if less expeditious or prestigious strategies for writers, even the indifference of mainstream publishers is not always the final word.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
  • When told that Montreal is now the new official Guinness titleholder, though, Pavlopoulos expressed cool indifference, pointing out that therein lies a key difference in the tale of two cities.
    Vivian Song, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Warning signs in a child – fever, chills, lethargy, fast heartbeat or breathing, blotchy skin and/or a rash that doesn’t fade (as with meningitis) – can mirror many less serious conditions.
    Harriet Marsden, TheWeek, 20 Feb. 2026
  • These include lethargy and fainting—symptoms that hardly capture the disease’s classic presentation but still have real consequences.
    Roxanne Khamsi, The Atlantic, 15 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • 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

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Cite this Entry

“Torpor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torpor. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.

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