What does "languid" mean?
Synonym of languet (“a flat plate in (or opposite and below the mouth of) the pipe of an organ”).
Languid
/ˈlæŋɡwɪd/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Synonym of languet (“a flat plate in (or opposite and below the mouth of) the pipe of an organ”).
- Grammar: languid is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: abeyant, aloof, ambling, anemic.
- Useful contrasts: energetic, enthusiastic, vigorous.
- Usage evidence: The droning synthesizers and muted percussion can feed a languid, dozy mood, or they can just seem self-indulgently boring, depending on the listener's mood and taste.
How to use "languid"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "languid" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "languid" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "languid" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "languid" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "languid" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abeyant" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "languid", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Synonym of languet (“a flat plate in (or opposite and below the mouth of) the pipe of an organ”).
"A new method of voicing flue pipes has recently been introduced by which a greater volume of tone is obtained without increasing the wind pressure. This is accomplished by making use of TWO languids in metal pipes with a space between the upper and lower languids. As may be required, a small hole is bored in either of the languids, or in the back of the pipe in the space between the two languids."
Adjective
- 1 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."
- 2 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."
- 3 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: […]"
- 4 Of a colour: not bright; dull, muted.
- 5 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."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 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; […]"
- 7 Of a thing: lacking energy, liveliness, or strength; inactive, slow-moving, weak.
"languid breathing languid movements"
Adjective
- 1 lacking spirit or liveliness wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"The droning synthesizers and muted percussion can feed a languid, dozy mood, or they can just seem self-indulgently boring, depending on the listener's mood and taste."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "languid"?
Common synonyms include: abeyant, aloof, ambling, anemic, anemic, anesthetized.
How do you use "languid" in a sentence?
The droning synthesizers and muted percussion can feed a languid, dozy mood, or they can just seem self-indulgently boring, depending on the listener's mood and taste.
How do you pronounce "languid"?
Pronounced /ˈlæŋɡwɪd/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
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”)
Etymology 2
A variant of languet.