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Languid

//ˈlæŋɡwɪd// adj, noun

Definitions

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."

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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

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."

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.

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