languid

What it means

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.

   1791, Oliver Goldsmith, “Of Venemous Serpents in General”, in An History of the Earth, and Animated Nature. […], new edition, volume VII, London: […] F[rancis] Wingrave, successor to Mr. [John] Nourse, […], →OCLC, page 191

   1 more example

   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.

   1955 September 15, Vladimir Nabokov, chapter 12, in Lolita, Paris: The Olympia Press […], →OCLC, page 200

   Synonyms: bleareyed, bleary, bleary-eyed, bone-tired, bushed, tired out, spent, wrecked

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

   Val watched his back, languid and slim, till it was out of sight …

   1928 July, John Galsworthy, “Son of Sleeping Dove”, in Swan Song, London: William Heinemann, →OCLC, part II, page 108

   3 more examples

   Loth was he to move / From the imprinted couch, and when he did, / 'Twas with slow, languid paces, and face hid / In muffling hands.

   1818, John Keats, “Book II”, in Endymion: A Poetic Romance, London: […] T[homas] Miller, […] for Taylor and Hessey, […], →OCLC, page 94, lines 873–876

   A consort was found for him in the royal family of France; and her beauty and grace gave him a languid pleasure.

   1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter XXIII, in Lady Trevelyan (Hannah More Macaulay), editor, The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume V, London: Longman, Green, Longman, and Roberts, →OCLC, page 103

   Darkness fell before we reached the Belgian frontier, and on through the night our train took her languid way.

   1946 January and February, 'Talisman', “Bückeburg to Aberayron”, in Railway Magazine, page 41

   Synonyms: hasteless, unhasty, unrushed

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

   George had an air at once swaggering and melancholy, languid and fierce.

   1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, “A Quarrel about an Heiress”, in Vanity Fair […], London: Bradbury and Evans […], published 1848, →OCLC, page 181

   5 more examples

   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: […]

   1648, Joseph Beaumont, “Canto XV. The The Poyson. Stanza 179.”, in Psyche: Or Loves Mysterie, […], London: […] John Dawson for George Boddington, […], →OCLC, page 287, column 1

   I'll haſten to my Troops, / And fire their languid Souls with Cato’s Virtue; […]

   1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, Act I, scene iv, page 13

   [A] Harlot form ſoft-ſliding by, / VVith mincing ſtep, ſmall voice, and languid eye; […]

   1742, [Alexander Pope], “Book the Fourth”, in The New Dunciad: As is^([sic]) It was Found in the Year 1741. […], Dublin: […] George Faulkner, →OCLC, page 14, lines 43–44

   Far from any thing inflam[ma]tory, I never heard a more languid debate in this Houſe.

   1774 April 19, Edmund Burke, Speech of Edmund Burke, Esq. on American Taxation, April 19, 1774, 2nd edition, London: […] J[ames] Dodsley, […], published 1775, →OCLC, page 72

   I was languid and dull and very bad company when I wrote the above; I am better now, to my own feelings at least, and wish I may be more agreeable.

   1816 March 23, Jane Austen, “Letter LXXXIV”, in Edward, Lord Brabourne, editor, Letters of Jane Austen, volume II, London: Richard Bentley & Son, […], published 1884, →OCLC, page 301

   Synonyms: adiaphroistic, apathetic, apathistical, blasé, blithe, deaf, cool, shiftless

In a sentence

[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.

1791, Oliver Goldsmith, “Of Venemous Serpents in General”, in An History of the Earth, and Animated Nature. […], new edition, volume VII, London: […] F[rancis] Wingrave, successor to Mr. [John] Nourse, […], →OCLC, page 191

Where it comes from

1. Proto-Indo-European*(s)leg-
2. Latinlangueō
3. Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-
4. Latinlanguidus
5. Middle Frenchlanguide
6. Latinlanguidus
7. Englishlanguid

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). See also the related languish. Cognates * Italian languido (“languid; languishing”) * Portuguese lânguido (“languid; listless”) * Spanish lánguido (“languid, weak”)