John Galsworthy
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What Is the Difference Between languid and languorous?
Lack, lack, lack. Languid is all about lack. Depending on its context, the word can suggest a lack of strength, lack of energy, or lack of activity. The lack-of-strength sense of languid describes the kind of sluggishness that often results from fatigue or weakness, as in “the illness left her feeling languid.” The lack-of-energy sense is synonymous with listless, and often describes someone’s character or disposition as a result of dissatisfaction or sadness. Lastly, there’s the lack-of-activity sense of languid, as in “investors are worried about the languid stock market.” So languid is a total bummer, right? Not so (ahem) fast! Sometimes it’s a good thing to dillydally, and languid has also long been used to describe stretches of time—think afternoons, days, summers, etc.—that are relatively and perhaps pleasantly chill.
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Examples of languid in a Sentence
Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2024
Denning sang the demo that day and played a languid guitar solo, emulating Vince Gill’s melodic style.
—Tom Roland, Billboard, 30 Oct. 2024
The pace is languid, but the tension builds rapidly, aided by Louise’s increasing desperation and a pack of angry dogs.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 17 Sep. 2024
There exists a long history of the dying muse, beautiful, feverish, and doomed: In 1852, the artist’s model Elizabeth Siddal posed as Hamlet’s Ophelia for the pre-Raphaelites, her languid sickliness attributed to tuberculosis by her peers.
—Rhian Sasseen, The Atlantic, 14 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Languid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/languid. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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