litany

noun

lit·​a·​ny ˈli-tə-nē 

ˈlit-nē

plural litanies

1

: a prayer consisting of a series of invocations and supplications by the leader with alternate responses by the congregation

the Litany of the Saints

2

a

: a resonant or repetitive chant

a litany of cheering phrases

—Herman Wouk

b

: a usually lengthy recitation or enumeration

a familiar litany of complaints

c

: a sizable series or set

a litany of problems

The drug has a litany of possible side effects.

Did you know?

A Short History of Litany

How do we love the word litany? Let us count the ways. We love its original 13th century meaning, still in use today, referring to a call-and-response prayer in which a series of lines are spoken alternately by a leader and a congregation. We love how litany has developed in the intervening centuries three figurative senses, and we love each of these as well: first, a sense meaning “repetitive chant”; next, the “lengthy recitation” sense owing to the repetitious—and sometimes interminable—nature of the original litany; and finally, an even broader sense referring to any sizeable series or set. Though litanies of this third sort tend to be unpleasant, we choose today to think of the loveliness found in the idea of “a litany of sonnets by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.”

Examples of litany in a Sentence

He has a litany of grievances against his former employer.

The team blamed its losses on a litany of injuries.

Recent Examples on the Web

This year alone will see a litany of new larger-than-life (and in many cases, larger than their predecessor sister ships) cruise ships traversing the world’s oceans. —CNN Money, 7 May 2025

And the first season already has featured a litany of celebrity cameos, including Sarah Polley, Greta Lee, Anthony Mackie, Ron Howard, Olivia Wilde, Zac Efron, Johnny Knoxville, Ice Cube, Nicholas Stoller, and more. —Brian Welk, IndieWire, 6 May 2025

But regional sports networks for MLB, NBA and NHL still own the local rights for most teams, which forces fans to pay for either cable or a litany of streaming services to watch most games. —Alex Sherman, CNBC, 1 May 2025

Overall, there’s been a 77% drop in teen births since 1991—and with the current nationwide fertility rate at 1.62 children per woman, well below the population replacement rate of 2.1, the US could soon face the litany of problems that come with a declining population. —Elise Taylor, Vogue, 30 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English letanie, from Anglo-French & Late Latin; Anglo-French, from Late Latin litania, from Late Greek litaneia, from Greek, entreaty, from litanos supplicant

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

litany

noun

lit·​a·​ny ˈlit-ᵊn-ē 

ˈlit-nē

plural litanies

: a prayer consisting of a series of lines spoken alternately by a leader and the congregation