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YOUR VOCABULARY, ONE WORD AT A TIME

litany

Noun

IPA /ˈlɪtəni/

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Meaning in plain English

A long, repetitive account of problems, complaints or similar things.

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Pronunciation

litany/ˈlɪtəni/

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  1. One complaint is mentioned

  2. Many similar complaints follow

A litany of complaints is a long, often repetitive account of things that are wrong.

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  1. He greeted us with a litany of complaints about the journey.
  2. The report listed a litany of delays and missed deadlines.

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He greeted us with a ________ of complaints about the journey.
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litany — A long, repetitive account of problems, complaints or similar things.

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A long, repetitive account of problems, complaints or similar things.

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Word origin

Ultimately from Greek litaneia, meaning prayer, through religious Latin and French.

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A litany of complaints, errors or failures introduces a lengthy series.

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litany

/ˈlɪtəni/ (Noun)

“This figurative use is often disapproving. The word also has a religious meaning involving a series of prayers.”

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