languid
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈlæŋɡwɪd/
ipa: /ˈlæŋɡwəd/
Forms: form: more languid
form: most languid
Etymology: Borrowed from Middle French languide (“fatigued, weak; apathetic, indifferent”) (modern French languide), or from its etymon Latin languidus (“faint, weak; dull; slow, sluggish; ill, sick, unwell; (figuratively) inactive, inert, listless”), from langueō (“to be faint or weak; (figuratively) to be idle, inactive, or listless”) (from Proto-Indo-European *(s)leg-, *(s)leh₁g- (“to weaken”)) + -idus (suffix meaning ‘tending to’ forming adjectives). Doublet of languish.
Cognates
* Italian languido (“languid; languishing”)
* Portuguese lânguido (“languid; listless”)
* Spanish lánguido (“languid, weak”)
Senses: examples: text: [T]he ſalt of vipers is alſo thought to exceed any other animal ſalt vvhatever, in giving vigour to the languid circulation, and prompting to venery.
ref: 1791, Oliver Goldsmith, “Of Venemous Serpents in General”, in An History of the Earth, and Animated Nature. […], new edition, volume VII, London: […] F[rancis] Wingrave, successor to Mr. [John] Nourse, […], →OCLC, page 191:
text: At first she "ran a temperature" in American parlance, and I could not resist the exquisite caloricity of unexpected delights—Venus febriculosa—though it was a very languid Lolita that moaned and coughed and shivered in my embrace.
ref: 1955, Vladimir Nabokov, chapter 12, in Lolita, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: G[eorge] P[almer] Putnam’s Sons, published August 1958, →OCLC, part 2, page 200:
synonyms: word: bleareyed
word: bleary
word: bleary-eyed
word: bone-tired
word: bushed
word: tired out
word: spent
word: drained
word: dog-tired
word: dog-weary
word: exhausted
word: fatigued
word: forfairn
word: forlagen
word: forworn
word: heavyeyed
word: jaded
word: languid
word: enervated
word: out of gas
word: played out
word: run-down
word: shattered
word: shot
word: sleepy
word: stuffed
word: tired
word: washed out
word: weariful
word: weary
word: whacked
word: whipped
word: worn
word: worn out
word: banjaxed
word: beat
word: buggered
word: busted
word: dead tired
word: cream crackered
word: done
word: done in
word: done up
word: fagged out
word: fried
word: fucked
word: gassed
word: jiggered
word: Kerry Packered
word: knacked
word: knackered
word: nadgered
word: pooped
word: pooped out
word: pumped
word: shagged
word: shagged out
word: tuckered
word: tuckered out
word: wappened
word: zonked
word: anemic
word: breakable
word: broken-down
word: damaged
word: debilitated
word: decrepit
word: delicate
word: dickless
word: effete
word: enervated
word: enfeebled
word: exhausted
word: faint
word: feeble
word: flimsy
word: fragile
word: frail
word: harmed
word: hurt
word: impaired
word: impotent
word: infirm
word: injured
word: languid
word: low
word: powerless
word: prostrated
word: prostrate
word: puny
word: raddled
word: resistless
word: sapped
word: slightsoft
word: softened
word: susceptible
word: tender
word: tired
word: torpid
word: unresistant
word: vincible
word: vulnerable
word: wasted
word: weak
word: weakened
word: weary
word: weedy
word: wimpy
word: worn out
word: yielding
glosses: Of a person or animal, or their body functions: flagging from weakness, or inactive or weak, especially due to illness or tiredness; faint, listless.
examples: text: Loth was he to move / From the imprinted couch, and when he did, / 'Twas with slow, languid paces, and face hid / In muffling hands.
ref: 1818, John Keats, “Book II”, in Endymion: A Poetic Romance, London: […] T[homas] Miller, […] for Taylor and Hessey, […], →OCLC, page 94, lines 873–876:
text: A consort was found for him in the royal family of France; and her beauty and grace gave him a languid pleasure.
ref: 1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter XXIII, in Lady Trevelyan (Hannah More Macaulay), editor, The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume V, London: Longman, Green, Longman, and Roberts, →OCLC, page 103:
text: Val watched his back, languid and slim, till it was out of sight …
ref: 1928 July, John Galsworthy, “Son of Sleeping Dove”, in Swan Song, London: William Heinemann, →OCLC, part II, page 108:
text: Darkness fell before we reached the Belgian frontier, and on through the night our train took her languid way.
ref: 1946 January and February, 'Talisman', “Bückeburg to Aberayron”, in Railway Magazine, page 41:
synonyms: hasteless
unhasty
unrushed
glosses: Of a person or their movement: showing a dislike for physical effort; leisurely, unhurried.
examples: text: VVith ſecret Checks her languid Soule ſhe chid / VVhich vvith ſuch violence never yet did flame; / Her Eyes hung dovvn; her Cheeks vvere over-ſpread / VVith bluſhing (but vvith ô hovv guiltleſſe!) ſhame: […]
ref: 1648, Joseph Beaumont, “Canto XV. The The Poyson. Stanza 179.”, in Psyche: Or Loves Mysterie, […], London: […] John Dawson for George Boddington, […], →OCLC, page 287, column 1:
text: I'll haſten to my Troops, / And fire their languid Souls with Cato’s Virtue; […]
ref: 1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, Act I, scene iv, page 13:
text: [A] Harlot form ſoft-ſliding by, / VVith mincing ſtep, ſmall voice, and languid eye; […]
ref: 1742, [Alexander Pope], “Book the Fourth”, in The New Dunciad: As is^([sic]) It was Found in the Year 1741. […], Dublin: […] George Faulkner, →OCLC, page 14, lines 43–44:
text: Far from any thing inflam[ma]tory, I never heard a more languid debate in this Houſe.
ref: 1774 April 19, Edmund Burke, Speech of Edmund Burke, Esq. on American Taxation, April 19, 1774, 2nd edition, London: […] J[ames] Dodsley, […], published 1775, →OCLC, page 72:
text: I was languid and dull and very bad company when I wrote the above; I am better now, to my own feelings at least, and wish I may be more agreeable.
ref: 1816 March 23, Jane Austen, “Letter LXXXIV”, in Edward, Lord Brabourne, editor, Letters of Jane Austen, volume II, London: Richard Bentley & Son, […], published 1884, →OCLC, page 301:
text: George had an air at once swaggering and melancholy, languid and fierce.
ref: 1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, “A Quarrel about an Heiress”, in Vanity Fair […], London: Bradbury and Evans […], published 1848, →OCLC, page 181:
text: Too lazy or too languid where only his own interests were at stake—touch his benevolence, and all the wheels of the clockwork felt the impetus of the master-spring.
ref: 1848 April – 1849 October, E[dward] Bulwer-Lytton, chapter III, in The Caxtons: A Family Picture, volume I, Edinburgh; London: William Blackwood and Sons, published 1849, →OCLC, part I, pages 15–16:
synonyms: word: adiaphroistic
word: apathetic
word: apathistical
word: blasé
word: deaf
word: cool
word: shiftless
word: dispassionate
word: dull
word: enervated
word: gallionic
word: halfhearted
word: heartless
word: impassive
word: ineffervescible
word: insouciant
word: indifferent
word: insensible
word: jaded
word: languid
word: languorous
word: Laodicean
word: lethargic
word: listless
word: lackadaisical
word: lotophagous
word: lukewarm
word: mopey
word: nonchalant
word: nonplussed
word: phlegmatic
word: pococurante
word: spiritless
word: supine
word: tepid
word: torpid
word: torpedinous
word: unaroused
word: uncaring
word: unconcerned
word: unenthusiastic
word: unimpressible
word: uninterested
word: unlively
word: unmoved
word: untouched
word: unzealous
word: world-weary
glosses: Of a person or their actions, character, etc.: lacking drive, emotion, or enthusiasm; apathetic, listless, spiritless, unenthusiastic.
synonyms: word: dark
word: deep
word: dull
word: dusky
word: full
word: fuscous
word: languid
word: muted
word: inky
word: intense
word: saturated
word: somber
word: swarthy
glosses: Of a colour: not bright; dull, muted.
examples: text: [S]ome very languid remarks on the probable brilliancy of the ball were all that broke, at intervals, a silence of half-an-hour, before they were joined by the master of the house.
ref: c. 1803–1805, Jane Austen, “The Watsons”, in J[ames] E[dward] Austen[-]Leigh, A Memoir of Jane Austen: […] to which is Added Lady Susan and Fragments of Two Other Unfinished Tales by Miss Austen, 2nd edition, London: Richard Bentley and Son, […], published 1871, →OCLC, pages 308–309:
text: He had written certain thin Books, all of a thin languid nature; but rational, clear; especially a Book of Fables in Verse, which are watery, but not wholly water, and have still a languid flavour in them for readers.
ref: 1865, Thomas Carlyle, “Winter-Quarters 1760–61”, in History of Friedrich II. of Prussia, Called Frederick the Great, volume VI, London: Chapman and Hall, […], →OCLC, book XX, page 152:
synonyms: word: banal
word: beat
word: blah
word: bland
word: boring
word: cold
word: colourless
word: drab
word: dreich
word: drowsy
word: dull
word: dull as dishwater
word: flat
word: ho-hum
word: humdrum
word: insipid
word: lackluster
word: lame
word: languid
word: lifeless
word: longsome
word: monotonous
word: mundane
word: no fun at parties
word: plain
word: plodding
word: prosaic
word: prosy
word: pedantic
word: pedestrian
word: static
word: straightforward
word: snoozeworthy
word: soporific
word: tedious
word: uncool
word: wan
word: weaksauce
word: wooden
word: uninteresting
word: stodgy
word: vapid
word: vanilla
glosses: Of an idea, writing, etc.: dull, uninteresting.
examples: text: Unknown to them, when ſenſual pleaſures cloy, / To fill the languid pauſe with finer joy; […]
ref: 1764 December 19 (indicated as 1765), Oliver Goldsmith, The Traveller, or A Prospect of Society. A Poem. […], London: […] J[ohn] Newbery, […], →OCLC, page 12:
text: Toil is the portion of day, as sleep is that of night; but if there be one hour of the twenty-four which has the life of day without its labour, and the rest of night without its slumber, it is the lovely and languid hour of twilight.
ref: 1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter I, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume I, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 1:
synonyms: easygoing
leisurely
unhectic
glosses: Of a period of time: characterized by lack of activity; pleasant and relaxed; unstressful.
examples: text: languid breathing    languid movements
text: [T]he ſound [of bees or flies] is ſtrongeſt in dry vveather, and very vveake in rainy ſeaſon, and tovvard vvinter; for then the ayre is moyſt, and the invvard ſpirit grovving vveake, makes a languid and dumbe alliſion upon the parts.
ref: 1646, Thomas Browne, “Compendiously of Sundry Tenents Concerning Other Animals, which Examined prove either False or Dubious”, in Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], London: […] T[homas] H[arper] for Edward Dod, […], →OCLC, 3rd book, paragraph 10, page 176:
text: [W]hen the languid Flames at length ſubſide, / He ſtrovvs a Bed of glovving Embers vvide, / Above the Coals the ſmoaking Fragments turns, / And ſprinkles ſacred Salt from lifted Urns; […]
ref: 1717, Homer, translated by Alexander Pope, “Book IX”, in The Iliad of Homer, volume III, London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintott […], →OCLC, page 16, lines 325–328:
text: As love vvithout eſteem, is volatile and capricious; eſteem vvithout love, is languid and cold.
ref: 1753 March 10, Samuel Johnson [et al.], “Number XXXVI. SATURDAY, March 10, 1753.”, in The Adventurer, volume I, London: […] J[ohn] Payne, […], published 1753, →OCLC, page 212:
text: I knew the flowers, I knew the leaves, I knew / The tearful glimmer of the languid dawn / On those long, rank, dark woodwalks drenched in dew, / Leading from lawn to lawn.
ref: 1832 December (indicated as 1833), Alfred Tennyson, “A Dream of Fair Women”, in Poems, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, stanza XXV, page 128:
text: His thick, heavy, languid, lustreless black hair fell down behind his ears on to his shoulders, in that musicianlike way that is so offensive to the normal Englishman.
ref: 1894, George du Maurier, “Part First”, in Trilby: A Novel, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, →OCLC, pages 11–12:
synonyms: word: abeyant
word: at rest
word: cessant
word: dormant
word: dull
word: fallow
word: idle
word: inactive
word: inert
word: languid
word: latent
word: nonactive
word: quiescent
word: silent
word: sedent
word: sedentary
word: slow
word: suspended
word: torpid
word: unactive
word: unbusy
word: unemployed
word: unoccupied
glosses: Of a thing: lacking energy, liveliness, or strength; inactive, slow-moving, weak.
Derived terms: languidly
languidness
unlanguid
Related terms: languish
languor
languorous