as in boredom
physical or mental inertness shocked by news of impending layoffs, the workers shuffled through their shift in a quiet stupor

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How does the noun stupor contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of stupor are languor, lassitude, lethargy, and torpor. While all these words mean "physical or mental inertness," stupor implies a deadening of the mind and senses by shock, narcotics, or intoxicants.

lapsed into an alcoholic stupor

When is languor a more appropriate choice than stupor?

The words languor and stupor can be used in similar contexts, but languor suggests inertia induced by an enervating climate or illness or love.

languor induced by a tropical vacation

When would lassitude be a good substitute for stupor?

The synonyms lassitude and stupor are sometimes interchangeable, but lassitude stresses listlessness or indifference resulting from fatigue or poor health.

a depression marked by lassitude

Where would lethargy be a reasonable alternative to stupor?

In some situations, the words lethargy and stupor are roughly equivalent. However, lethargy implies such drowsiness or aversion to activity as is induced by disease, injury, or drugs.

months of lethargy followed my accident

When is it sensible to use torpor instead of stupor?

While the synonyms torpor and stupor are close in meaning, torpor implies a state of suspended animation as of hibernating animals but may suggest merely extreme sluggishness.

a once alert mind now in a torpor

Examples 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 stupor Sensing the stupor her meal had induced, Gamage went in for the kill. Prasad Ramamurthy, Travel + Leisure, 18 Sep. 2024 The way the resort’s handful of guests sometimes wander around in stupors before becoming violently ill is enough to make Gretchen suspect something is amiss. Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 9 Aug. 2024 Read the full Virgo Daily Horoscope Libra (September 23 - October 22) As Mars and Uranus align, sudden insights shock you out of a stupor. USA TODAY, 15 July 2024 Ferrera was living in one of the cars with his girlfriend, and both were sometimes in a stupor, Malone recalled. Harriet Ryan, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for stupor 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stupor
Noun
  • There’s boredom and weariness to her everyday chores, her hope laced now with the sheer mundanity of her everyday solitary life.
    Manuel Betancourt, Variety, 20 Nov. 2024
  • An article from Chewy said that teaching your cat to talk with buttons can help strengthen your bond, give them another chance for communication, stimulate their brains, and reduce boredom and stress.
    Liz O'Connell, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • Symptoms of xylitol poisoning include vomiting, lethargy and seizures, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
    Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 2 Nov. 2024
  • The side effects of the contaminants might reveal themselves in the body as mineral depletion, heavy metal overload or lethargy (chronic fatigue, leaky gut, hyperactivity, dissociation, anhedonia).
    Harmony Holiday, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2024
Noun
  • Back in the present, Noriko tries visiting Suzie in person to shake her from her torpor.
    Chris Klimek, Vulture, 17 July 2024
  • To be ready to meet the day, for example, the birds begin to rouse from their torpor about an hour before sunrise, well before visible light cues.
    Bob Holmes, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Oct. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near stupor

Cite this Entry

“Stupor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stupor. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

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