languor

Meaning

Noun

1. (uncountable) A state of the body or mind caused by exhaustion or disease and characterized by a languid or weary feeling; lassitude; (countable) an instance of this.
2. (uncountable) Melancholy caused by lovesickness, sadness, etc.; (countable) an instance of this.
3. (uncountable) Dullness, sluggishness; lack of vigour; stagnation.
4. (uncountable) Listless indolence or inactivity, especially if enjoyable or relaxing; dreaminess; (countable) an instance of this.
5. (uncountable) Heavy humidity and stillness of the air.
6. (obsolete, uncountable) Sorrow; suffering; also, enfeebling disease or illness; (countable, obsolete) an instance of this.

Verb

To languish.

Synonyms

lassitude

weariness

fatigue

listlessness

weakness

tiredness

sluggishness

faintness

exhaustion

lethargy

boredom

debility

feebleness

dreaminess

inertia

flabbiness

debilitation

phlegm

flatness

limpness

prostration

somnolence

spiritlessness

tonelessness

torpidity

torpor

weakliness

oscitancy

oscitation

nervelessness

contentment

delicacy

delight

enfeeblement

ennui

flaccidness

foible

frailness

frailty

idleness

inability

inactivity

infirmity

languidness

laxity

melancholy

bliss

puniness

shortcoming

slackness

Translations

langueur

languore

languidez

léthargie

languidezza

letargia

loomheid

letargia

fatigue

Müdigkeit

Erschöpfung

سبات

Langeweile

ennui

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈlæŋɡə/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: langore

Cognate with French: langueur

Cognate with Catalan: llangor

Cognate with Italian: languore

Cognate with Old Provençal: langor

Cognate with Occitan: langor

Cognate with Portuguese: langor

Cognate with Spanish: langor

Inherited from Middle English: langouren

In summary

The noun is derived from Middle English langore, langour (“disease, illness; misery, sadness; suffering; condition or event causing sadness, suffering, etc.; unwholesomeness; idleness, inertia; depression, self-disgust; expression of grief”) [and other forms], from Middle French languer, langueur, langour, and Anglo-Norman langor, langour, langur, Old French langueur, languour (“disease, illness; suffering; emotional fatigue, sadness; listlessness; stagnation”) (modern French langueur (“languor”)), and from their etymon Latin languor (“faintness, feebleness; languor; apathy”), from languēre, the present active infinitive of langueō (“to feel faint or weak; (figurative) to be idle, inactive; to be listless”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)leg-, *(s)leh₁g-. The English word is cognate with Catalan llangor, Italian languore (“faintness, weakness; languor”), langore (obsolete), Old Occitan langor (modern Occitan langor), Portuguese langor, languor (obsolete), Spanish langor.