languid

comparative more languid · superlative most languid

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

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   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

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   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

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   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

4. Of a colour: not bright; dull, muted.

   Synonyms: dark, deep, dull, dusky, full, fuscous, muted, inky

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.

   c. 1803–1805, Jane Austen, “The Watsons”, in J[ames] E[dward] Austen[-]Leigh, A Memoir of Jane Austen: […] to which is Added Lady Susan and Fragments of Two Other Unfinished Tales by Miss Austen, 2nd edition, London: Richard Bentley and Son, […], published 1871, →OCLC, pages 308–309

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   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.

   1865, Thomas Carlyle, “Winter-Quarters 1760–61”, in History of Friedrich II. of Prussia, Called Frederick the Great, volume VI, London: Chapman and Hall, […], →OCLC, book XX, page 152

   Synonyms: banal, basic, mindless, beat, blah, commonplace, bland, boring

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; […]

   1764 December 19 (indicated as 1765), Oliver Goldsmith, The Traveller, or A Prospect of Society. A Poem. […], London: […] J[ohn] Newbery, […], →OCLC, page 12

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   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.

   1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter I, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume I, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 1

   Synonyms: easygoing, leisurely, unhectic

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

   languid breathing    languid movements

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   [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.

   1646, Thomas Browne, “Compendiously of Sundry Tenents Concerning Other Animals, which Examined prove either False or Dubious”, in Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], London: […] T[homas] H[arper] for Edward Dod, […], →OCLC, 3rd book, paragraph 10, page 176

   [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; […]

   1717, Homer, “Book IX”, in Alexander Pope, transl., The Iliad of Homer, volume III, London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintott […], →OCLC, page 16, lines 325–328

   As love vvithout eſteem, is volatile and capricious; eſteem vvithout love, is languid and cold.

   1753 March 10, Samuel Johnson [et al.], “Number XXXVI. SATURDAY, March 10, 1753.”, in The Adventurer, volume I, London: […] J[ohn] Payne, […], published 1753, →OCLC, page 212

   I knew the flowers, I knew the leaves, I knew / The tearful glimmer of the languid dawn / On those long, rank, dark woodwalks drenched in dew, / Leading from lawn to lawn.

   1832 December (indicated as 1833), Alfred Tennyson, “A Dream of Fair Women”, in Poems, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, stanza XXV, page 128

   His thick, heavy, languid, lustreless black hair fell down behind his ears on to his shoulders, in that musicianlike way that is so offensive to the normal Englishman.

   1894, George du Maurier, “Part First”, in Trilby: A Novel, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, →OCLC, pages 11–12

   Synonyms: abeyant, at rest, cessant, dormant, dull, fallow, hibernating, idle

plural languids

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

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   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.

   1913, William Horatio Clarke, “Double Languids”, in Standard Organ Building, Boston, Mass.: Richard G. Badger, the Gorham Press, →OCLC, page 150

   Synonyms: language, languet