languid

Etymology

Definitions

1. 1

   Of a person or animal, or their body functions

   Of a person or animal, or their body functions: flagging from weakness, or inactive or weak, especially due to illness or tiredness; faint, listless.

   • [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.
   • 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.
2. 2

   Of a person or their movement

   Of a person or their movement: showing a dislike for physical effort; leisurely, unhurried.

   • Loth was he to move / From the imprinted couch, and when he did, / 'Twas with slow, languid paces, and face hid / In muffling hands.
   • A consort was found for him in the royal family of France; and her beauty and grace gave him a languid pleasure.
   • Val watched his back, languid and slim, till it was out of sight …
3. 3

   Of a person or their actions, character, etc.

   Of a person or their actions, character, etc.: lacking drive, emotion, or enthusiasm; apathetic, listless, spiritless, unenthusiastic.

   • 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: […]
   • I'll haſten to my Troops, / And fire their languid Souls with Cato’s Virtue; […]
   • [A] Harlot form ſoft-ſliding by, / VVith mincing ſtep, ſmall voice, and languid eye; […]
4. ›+ 5 more definitionsshow fewer

   1. 4

      Of a colour

      Of a colour: not bright; dull, muted.

   2. 5

      Of an idea, writing, etc.

      Of an idea, writing, etc.: dull, uninteresting.

      • [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.
      • 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.
   3. 6

      Of a period of time

      Of a period of time: characterized by lack of activity; pleasant and relaxed; unstressful.

      • Unknown to them, when ſenſual pleaſures cloy, / To fill the languid pauſe with finer joy; […]
      • 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.
   4. 7

      Of a thing

      Of a thing: lacking energy, liveliness, or strength; inactive, slow-moving, weak.

      • languid breathing    languid movements
      • [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.
      • [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; […]
   5. 8

      Synonym of languet (“a flat plate in (or opposite and below the mouth of) the pipe of an…

      Synonym of languet (“a flat plate in (or opposite and below the mouth of) the pipe of an organ”).

The neighborhood

• antonymenergetic
• antonymvigorous
• neighborlanguish
• neighborlanguor
• neighborlanguorous