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 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 The sense of torpor extends to the roster. Andy McCullough, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025 Bears do not truly hibernate, but instead enervate, or enter a state of torpor, in their dens. Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 25 Sep. 2025 Binging pasta might lead to a stomach ache and terrible torpor the next morning. Big Think, 3 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for torpor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torpor
Noun
  • For these workers, JLL continued, non-compliance is often driven by personal constraints rather than a dislike of the office itself (or a disregard for all the free food).
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 3 Jan. 2026
  • The operation is less a challenge to international law than an instance of total disregard for it.
    Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Every child benefits from practicing waiting, joining conversation and managing boredom in everyday settings.
    Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
  • So afternoon, for Gospodinov, is the time for boredom, memory, a kind of weightless solitude—and, now, the time for grief.
    James Wood, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Filed in May 2023, the Schuck family’s lawsuit accused jail staff of negligence and deliberate indifference to their son’s medical needs.
    Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2025
  • When companies back away from inclusion, audiences interpret it as indifference.
    Kimberly S. Reed, Rolling Stone, 7 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • The notice explains that dogs who ingest plastic may exhibit symptoms including vomiting, loss of appetite, lethargy, or stomach discomfort.
    Rey Covarrubias Jr, AZCentral.com, 6 Dec. 2025
  • Common symptoms of an EHV respiratory disease can include fever, coughing, nasal discharge, enlarged lymph nodes, lethargy, anorexia, conjunctivitis and lower limb swelling, according to the AAEP.
    Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 26 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Daedone wanted to savor decrescendo, too, as well as stasis, stupor, spiritual awakening, and whatever other sensations the stroke brought out.
    Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
  • The cilantro is key because its chlorophyllic sharpness slaps the stupor out of the starchy beans.
    Nina Moskowitz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 5 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Torpor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torpor. Accessed 8 Jan. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on torpor

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