Illustration of sloth
- sloth 2
plural sloths
ˈslȯths 
ˈslȯṯẖz,
ˈsläths,
ˈsläṯẖz,
also ˈslōths,
ˈslōṯẖz
1
a
: disinclination to action or labor : indolence
b
: spiritual apathy and inactivity
the deadly sin of sloth
2
: any of various slow-moving arboreal edentate mammals (genera Bradypus and Choloepus) that inhabit tropical forests of South and Central America, hang from the branches back downward, and feed on leaves, shoots, and fruits compare three-toed sloth, two-toed sloth
Examples of sloth in a Sentence
the sins of gluttony and sloth
a youth inclined more toward sloth than athletics
Recent Examples on the Web
While everyone else hustles about, the sloth knows that in slowness there is safety and success.
—
Kate Siber, Outside, 21 Oct. 2025
Instead, sloth teeth are made primarily of dentin, a more porous and organic-rich tissue that readily changes its chemical composition with fossilization.
—Aditya Reddy Kurre, The Conversation, 21 Oct. 2025
Humans have had an impact on biodiversity as far back as 130,000 years ago, with the disappearance of mammoths and giant sloths—and extinction has continued in our wake as the human race spread across the globe.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
Wendt's has an animal experience to meet the park's sloths and capybaras up close.
—Lillian Metzmeier, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sloth
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Kate Siber, Outside, 21 Oct. 2025
Instead, sloth teeth are made primarily of dentin, a more porous and organic-rich tissue that readily changes its chemical composition with fossilization.
—Aditya Reddy Kurre, The Conversation, 21 Oct. 2025
Humans have had an impact on biodiversity as far back as 130,000 years ago, with the disappearance of mammoths and giant sloths—and extinction has continued in our wake as the human race spread across the globe.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
Wendt's has an animal experience to meet the park's sloths and capybaras up close.
—Lillian Metzmeier, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sloth
Cite this Entry
“Sloth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sloth. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
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