slouch

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: an awkward fellow : lout
b
: one that is unimpressive
especially : a lazy or incompetent person
used in negative constructions
was no slouch at cooking
2
: a gait or posture characterized by an ungainly stooping of the head and shoulders or excessive relaxation of body muscles

slouch

2 of 2

verb

slouched; slouching; slouches

intransitive verb

1
: to walk, stand, or sit with a slouch : assume a slouch
2
: droop
3
: to go or move slowly or reluctantly

transitive verb

: to cause to droop
slouched his shoulders
sloucher noun

Examples of slouch in a Sentence

Noun She walks with a slouch. is no slouch when it comes to cooking Verb Sit up straight. Please don't slouch. She slouched into the room. The boy was slouching over his school books.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Clark, the point guard phenom out of Iowa who was the number one overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, celebrated her milestone achievement alongside her boyfriend, fellow player McCaffery, who at 23, is no slouch on the court, either, having played in college and is now pursuing a coaching career. Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 16 Apr. 2024 Despite those heavy-hitters behind Disney, Trian is no slouch. William Gavin, Quartz, 2 Apr. 2024 In Bluetooth mode, the polling rate is 90 Hz, which is still no slouch for most people’s needs. Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024 Elizabeth was no slouch at expressing her love for him either, as her 44 Sonnets from the Portuguese attest. Heller McAlpin, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Mar. 2024 This gorgeous ballad brims with aching fiddle and is slathered in steel guitar, while her collaborators — Country Music Hall of Fame members Vince Gill and Ricky Skaggs — are no slouches, either. Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 25 Sep. 2023 As impressive as the livery may be, the car beneath it is no slouch. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 27 Feb. 2024 Smooth and supple Italian leather gives a subtle slouch to the east-west silhouette. Paula Lee, Glamour, 26 Feb. 2024 However, Bellator heavyweight champion American Ryan Bader, who is 31-7, is no slouch in the ring either with a hunger to be the best of the best in mixed martial arts. Rudie Obias, Variety, 24 Feb. 2024
Verb
Throughout the first week of the trial, Elders sat at the defense table slouched with a somber expression on his face when the jury was in the courtroom. James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Apr. 2024 Certain researchers have gone so far as to say that the conventional fear mongering regarding poor posture can actually be more harmful than slouching itself. Beth Linker, TIME, 8 Apr. 2024 Samuel has made a movie that imagines a good-hearted sinner slouching toward salvation one desperate measure at a time. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 12 Jan. 2024 In the wilds of Humboldt County, Riley Keough slouches into view. Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024 This one employs a computer’s camera to determine whether the user is slouching or slumping. Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024 Who hasn’t attributed the occasional pang or jab to sleeping in a weird position, slouching at a desk for eight hours, or lurching to grab something off the floor in a slightly wonky way? Sarah Klein, SELF, 5 Mar. 2024 Lukas sings the role with polish and power, and uses shifts in his physical bearing, from striding confidence to slouching defeat, to help tell Arnstein’s story. Elaine Schmidt, Journal Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2024 Avoid slouching, walking with your head down, or shuffling. Rachel Wells, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'slouch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun

1515, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1754, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of slouch was in 1515

Dictionary Entries Near slouch

Cite this Entry

“Slouch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slouch. Accessed 2 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

slouch

1 of 2 noun
1
: an awkward, lazy, or unqualified person
2
: a manner of walking, sitting, or standing characterized by an awkward stooping of head and shoulders

slouch

2 of 2 verb
: to walk, sit, or stand with a slouch
sloucher noun

More from Merriam-Webster on slouch

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