Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective languorous differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of languorous are lackadaisical, languid, listless, and spiritless. While all these words mean "lacking energy or enthusiasm," languorous suggests a dreamy boredom and delicacy that avoids unnecessary activity.

languorous cats lying in the sun

When is it sensible to use lackadaisical instead of languorous?

In some situations, the words lackadaisical and languorous are roughly equivalent. However, lackadaisical implies a carefree indifference marked by half-hearted efforts.

lackadaisical college seniors pretending to study

When can languid be used instead of languorous?

The synonyms languid and languorous are sometimes interchangeable, but languid refers to an unwillingness or inability to exert oneself due to fatigue or physical weakness.

was depressed and languid for weeks after surgery

When would listless be a good substitute for languorous?

While in some cases nearly identical to languorous, listless suggests a lack of interest caused by physical weakness or dissatisfied boredom.

listless hospital patients
listless children flipping through picture books on a rainy day

In what contexts can spiritless take the place of languorous?

The meanings of spiritless and languorous largely overlap; however, spiritless refers to a lack of animation or vigor that gives one's actions and words life.

a spiritless recital of the poem

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 languorous Ghia Le Spritz Variety 12-Pack $145 Ghia A wanderlust-inducing coffee table book Il Dolce Far Niente, or the sweetness of doing nothing, is effortlessly captured in this mesmerizing photo book cataloging a languorous Italian summer by Lucy Laucht. Sophie Dodd, Bon Appétit, 11 Dec. 2024 That’s why a noirish tenor sax snakes through the suite’s middle (played with languorous sensuality by PRISM Quartet’s Timothy McAllister), set to a lyre-like harp accompaniment. Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 9 Nov. 2024 The rhymed verse the characters speak in doesn’t at all hinder them from expressing themselves colloquially, in idioms that sound better with a languorous Southern lilt. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2024 Rozier constructs his love triangle (or, rather, square) without an ounce of melodrama, focusing as much on the vacation’s languorous atmosphere—and its giddy effect on the friends’ inside jokes and childish slapstick—as on the slow-burn plot. Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 15 July 2024 See All Example Sentences for languorous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for languorous
Adjective
  • On Blue Veil, the British composer coaxes earthy tremors from the cello, turning the sound of bow scrapes and resonant harmony into a languid psychic expanse.
    Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 18 Apr. 2025
  • His paintings frequently depict flowering trees, grassy fields and blue swimming pools under languid skies.
    Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • When intentionally chosen, the right scent can even shift your mood—lifting you out of a listless haze or helping ease a frantic pace.
    Lauren Thomann, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Maresca’s post-match insistence that the Frenchman’s struggles are not down to a lack of effort felt as feeble and unconvincing as the sum of his contribution over 45 listless first-half minutes.
    Liam Twomey, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Many said the progressive-sounding program is being pushed by indifferent state leaders and is creating lackadaisical security conditions in already dangerous work environments.
    William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 10 Apr. 2025
  • However, the Knicks’ lackadaisical defense to start the game bit them in the end, as the Spurs’ Sandro Mamukelashvili hit more 3s than vowels in his last name.
    James L. Edwards III, The Athletic, 20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Robbins was mostly Black, a place built by Black people who were tired of racial conflict in Chicago.
    D. Watkins, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Was Michelle ever tired of using the vibrator all the time in the show?
    Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Dance sections lacked charm; lyric passages were spiritless; the klezmer episodes in the third movement were strictly goyish.
    Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
  • Yet the club dropped the contest in spiritless fashion, 6-2.
    Julian McWilliams, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Aug. 2023
Adjective
  • King Charles cant get involved in Prince Harrys security woes: author Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine and author of ‘My Mother and I,’ explains why the monarch is too exhausted to deal with his younger son’s ongoing court battle.
    Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Factors like dehydration, sugar crashes, caffeine withdrawal and tolerance, and sleep cycle disruption can actually leave you more exhausted after an energy drink.
    Laura Dorwart, Verywell Health, 4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Submissions already include some stunning wildlife photography, including a sleepy lion cub on a dirt road, a mountain goat standing in a field of wildflowers, and a rhinoceros strolling in India.
    Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Turning off bright bedroom-ceiling lights and flicking on table or floor lamps can help your brain ease into sleepy mode each evening.
    Glamour, Glamour, 10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The alternating worlds are meant to be playful, but Toontown especially gets exhausting quickly, with characters mugging, clowning and amplifying every limp punchline.
    Frank Rizzo, Variety, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Rick grabs Chelsea and runs for help, holding her limp body in his arms.
    Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 7 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Languorous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/languorous. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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