torpor means A state of being inactive or stuporous. It carries an Arena rating of 1506, earned across 2 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, torpor ranks #48 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words, #1,485 of 17,131 for Scariest Words, #4,777 of 17,142 for Most Ingenious Words, #5,353 of 17,104 for Most Storied Words.
torpor is pronounced /ˈtɔːpə(ɹ)/.
Why “torpor” is a great word
A state of physical or mental inactivity, lethargy, or dormancy. From Latin torpor ("numbness, sluggishness"), from torpēre ("to be numb, stiff, or inactive"), first attested in English c. 1200. Unlike stupor, which implies a dazed and insensible suspension of the faculties, or apathy, a specific poverty of feeling, torpor is the profound, chronic inertia of the whole being. It is the heavy-lidded stillness of a reptile on a cold stone, the slow drift of dust motes in unventilated air, the particular heaviness of an afternoon when rising requires negotiation with gravity—the body's ancient wisdom of surrender, a slow, protective retreat into diminished waiting.
Etymology
From Latin torpor (“numbness”), from torpeō (“to be numb”).
noun
- A state of being inactive or stuporous.
- A state of apathy or lethargy.
- A state similar to hibernation characterised by energy-conserving, very deep sleep.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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