stupor

noun

ˈstü-pər How to pronounce stupor (audio)
Definition of stupornext
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

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

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of stupor First, there was the chest-down, sort of squaring-up motion that drunkards do to bouncers, to be followed by a strike which could not even be conceived of in drunken stupors. —Simon Johnson, The Athletic, 30 June 2024 What bold vocabulary could shake me out of my Swift stupor and juice me up for a new Perry release? —Anne Victoria Clark, Vulture, 18 June 2024 Neither team fully snapped out of this shooting stupor, finishing a combined 7-for-37 in the fourth quarter. —Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 31 Oct. 2024 The media narrative has long painted Noel as the pragmatic, occasionally sober musician, dutifully writing the songs and leading the band while Liam peacocked in a drunken stupor as the stereotypical rock star. —Matthew Ismael Ruiz, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2024 See All Example Sentences for stupor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stupor
  1. boredom
  2. lethargy
  3. torpor
Noun
  • Letting Boredom Do Its Job In an era of constant stimulation, boredom has become something to avoid at all costs.
    — Mark Travers, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
  • As the dog lazed in the dirt in Shelby Park, one guardsman ruminated about new missions to alleviate the boredom.
    — Jack Healy, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2025
Definition of boredom
Noun
  • Signs of hypothermia include weakness, muscle stiffness, lethargy, confusion, and loss of consciousness.
    — Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025
  • Pay attention for signs of distress: panting, drooling, a high heart rate, dry nose, lethargy, or even vomiting, staggering or seizures.
    — Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2025
Definition of lethargy
Noun
  • Their bodies go into a torpor where their heart rate and metabolism slows 20% to 50%.
    — Damon Arthur, USA TODAY, 27 Dec. 2024
  • Amid the torpor of their burgeoning love, the corpses start to stack up.
    — Chris Lee, Vulture, 22 Mar. 2024
Definition of torpor

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Cite this Entry

“Stupor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stupor. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.

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Nglish: Translation of stupor for Spanish Speakers

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