as in boredom
physical or mental inertness shocked by news of impending layoffs, the workers shuffled through their shift in a quiet stupor

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How does the noun stupor contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of stupor are languor, lassitude, lethargy, and torpor. While all these words mean "physical or mental inertness," stupor implies a deadening of the mind and senses by shock, narcotics, or intoxicants.

lapsed into an alcoholic stupor

When is languor a more appropriate choice than stupor?

The words languor and stupor can be used in similar contexts, but languor suggests inertia induced by an enervating climate or illness or love.

languor induced by a tropical vacation

When would lassitude be a good substitute for stupor?

The synonyms lassitude and stupor are sometimes interchangeable, but lassitude stresses listlessness or indifference resulting from fatigue or poor health.

a depression marked by lassitude

Where would lethargy be a reasonable alternative to stupor?

In some situations, the words lethargy and stupor are roughly equivalent. However, lethargy implies such drowsiness or aversion to activity as is induced by disease, injury, or drugs.

months of lethargy followed my accident

When is it sensible to use torpor instead of stupor?

While the synonyms torpor and stupor are close in meaning, torpor implies a state of suspended animation as of hibernating animals but may suggest merely extreme sluggishness.

a once alert mind now in a torpor

Examples of stupor in a Sentence

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Recent Examples on the Web Sensing the stupor her meal had induced, Gamage went in for the kill. Prasad Ramamurthy, Travel + Leisure, 18 Sep. 2024 The way the resort’s handful of guests sometimes wander around in stupors before becoming violently ill is enough to make Gretchen suspect something is amiss. Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 9 Aug. 2024 Read the full Virgo Daily Horoscope Libra (September 23 - October 22) As Mars and Uranus align, sudden insights shock you out of a stupor. USA TODAY, 15 July 2024 Ferrera was living in one of the cars with his girlfriend, and both were sometimes in a stupor, Malone recalled. Harriet Ryan, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for stupor 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stupor
Noun
  • Dana Taylor: And how did boomers deal with boredom?
    Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 11 Oct. 2024
  • To the everyday sort of life, these are empty, almost useless ingredients for anything else, but to create in, to write in, idle time, free time, even boredom, and naivety are really important and can be so powerful.
    Steve Baltin, Forbes, 29 Sep. 2024
Noun
  • And the ambiguous nature of iron deficiency signs — which can include lethargy, irritability, and pale skin — coupled with the lack of specific recommendations for nonpregnant women, means the condition can be easily overlooked, Weyand said.
    Lourdes Medrano, NPR, 15 Sep. 2024
  • Anyone who lives at high altitude knows that the side-effects of the thin air—the dizziness, lethargy, and insomnia—go away after your body produces a few billion extra red blood cells.
    Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 16 Oct. 2024
Noun
  • Back in the present, Noriko tries visiting Suzie in person to shake her from her torpor.
    Chris Klimek, Vulture, 17 July 2024
  • To be ready to meet the day, for example, the birds begin to rouse from their torpor about an hour before sunrise, well before visible light cues.
    Bob Holmes, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Oct. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near stupor

Cite this Entry

“Stupor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stupor. Accessed 13 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on stupor

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