sluggish

adjective

slug·​gish ˈslə-gish 

1

: averse to activity or exertion : indolent

also : torpid

2

: slow to respond (as to stimulation or treatment)

3

a

: markedly slow in movement, flow, or growth

b

: economically inactive or slow

sluggishly adverb

sluggishness noun

Synonyms

• slow
• leisurely
• lagging

Examples of sluggish in a Sentence

The game picked up after a sluggish start.

the sluggish pace of the project is worrisome

Recent Examples on the Web

Added to that, the British economy is sluggish and loaded with debt, and Starmer’s chancellor of the exchequer, Rachel Reeves, has no obvious options for raising revenues in her November budget, having ruled out tax hikes on working people in the election campaign. —Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 13 Sep. 2025

Not an excuse, but definitely a factor, from what I was told, in what turned into a sluggish showing on both sides of the ball. —Dianna Russini, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025

The complex opens at a time when rent growth has been sluggish in San Diego County. —Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Sep. 2025

In Massachusetts, one of the traditional strengths of the state’s economy — high-paying jobs in life science, high tech and research — has been sluggish in the past two years, said Mark Melnik, director of economic and public policy research at a University of Massachusetts Amherst institute. —Preston Fore, Fortune, 11 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

sluggish

adjective

slug·​gish ˈsləg-ish 

: slow in movement or reaction by habit or condition

sluggishly adverb

sluggishness noun

Medical Definition

sluggish

adjective

slug·​gish ˈsləg-ish 

: markedly slow in movement, progression, or response

sluggish healing

sluggishly adverb

sluggishness noun