languor

Meanings

1. A state of the body or mind caused by exhaustion or disease and characterized by a languid or weary feeling; lassitude; (countable) an instance of this.
2. Melancholy caused by lovesickness, sadness, etc.; (countable) an instance of this.
3. Dullness, sluggishness; lack of vigour; stagnation.
4. Listless indolence or inactivity, especially if enjoyable or relaxing; dreaminess; (countable) an instance of this.
5. Heavy humidity and stillness of the air.
6. Sorrow; suffering; also, enfeebling disease or illness; (countable, obsolete) an instance of this.

1. To languish.

Etymology

The noun is derived from Middle English langore, langour (“disease, illness; misery, sadness; suffering; condition or event causing sadness, suffering, etc.; unwholesomeness; idleness, inertia; depression, self-disgust; expression of grief”) [and other forms], from Middle French languer, langueur, langour, and Anglo-Norman langor, langour, langur, Old French langueur, languour (“disease, illness; suffering; emotional fatigue, sadness; listlessness; stagnation”) (modern French langueur (“languor”)), and from their etymon Latin languor (“faintness, feebleness; languor; apathy”), from languēre, the present active infinitive of langueō (“to feel faint or weak; (figurative) to be idle, inactive; to be listless”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)leg-, *(s)leh₁g-. The English word is cognate with Catalan llangor, Italian languore (“faintness, weakness; languor”), langore (obsolete), Old Occitan langor (modern Occitan langor), Portuguese langor, languor (obsolete), Spanish langor.