1
: weakness or weariness of body or mind
the languor of convalescence
2
: listless indolence or inertia
languor brought on by a hot summer afternoon
Synonyms
Examples of languor in a Sentence
They enjoyed the languor brought on by a hot summer afternoon.
They felt an indefinable languor.
Recent Examples on the Web
There are two excellent reasons to savor the series, in all of its languor.
—
Judy Berman, TIME, 4 Apr. 2024
The characters emote with the rich, sticky languor of a lava lamp, and none come to life with the force of those in the works to which Catán nods.
—Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 17 Nov. 2023
Everyone was ready to shake off the languor of the hot afternoon and welcome in the shade of night.
—Jacqui Gifford, Travel + Leisure, 16 Nov. 2023
The range is vast, touching on reggae, krautrock, MPB, and the blues, and the thread that ties it all together is the languor of a hot summer’s day.
—Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 22 Aug. 2023
Taking cues from Éric Rohmer’s summertime romantic comedy-dramas, Petzold fills much of the film with routine errands, trips to the beach, and aimless conversations over dinner—scenes of leisure and languor that appear plotless.
—Jasmine Liu, The New Republic, 4 Aug. 2023
The hours before a baseball game have a languor to them: kids gawking on the edges of the field, big-leaguers thwacking batting-practice home runs.
—Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 12 June 2023
Several men languor in the sun on makeshift stools outside a garage bay.
—Patrik Jonsson, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 June 2023
Later, Margaret and Janie suffer as a teen boy at the drugstore rings up their sanitary pads with the languor of a James Bond villain.
—Amy Nicholson, Variety, 20 Apr. 2023
Judy Berman, TIME, 4 Apr. 2024
The characters emote with the rich, sticky languor of a lava lamp, and none come to life with the force of those in the works to which Catán nods.
—Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 17 Nov. 2023
Everyone was ready to shake off the languor of the hot afternoon and welcome in the shade of night.
—Jacqui Gifford, Travel + Leisure, 16 Nov. 2023
The range is vast, touching on reggae, krautrock, MPB, and the blues, and the thread that ties it all together is the languor of a hot summer’s day.
—Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 22 Aug. 2023
Taking cues from Éric Rohmer’s summertime romantic comedy-dramas, Petzold fills much of the film with routine errands, trips to the beach, and aimless conversations over dinner—scenes of leisure and languor that appear plotless.
—Jasmine Liu, The New Republic, 4 Aug. 2023
The hours before a baseball game have a languor to them: kids gawking on the edges of the field, big-leaguers thwacking batting-practice home runs.
—Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 12 June 2023
Several men languor in the sun on makeshift stools outside a garage bay.
—Patrik Jonsson, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 June 2023
Later, Margaret and Janie suffer as a teen boy at the drugstore rings up their sanitary pads with the languor of a James Bond villain.
—Amy Nicholson, Variety, 20 Apr. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'languor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Anglo-French langur, from Latin languor, from languēre
First Known Use
1646, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near languor
Cite this Entry
“Languor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/languor. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
languor
noun
lan·guor
ˈlaŋ-(g)ər 
1
: weakness or weariness of body or mind
2
: a state of dreamy idleness
languorous
adjective
-(g)ə-rəs
languorously
adverb
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