lethargic

adjective

le·​thar·​gic lə-ˈthär-jik 

le-

1

: of, relating to, or characterized by laziness or lack of energy : feeling or affected by lethargy : sluggish

The patient was weak and lethargic.

2

: indifferent, apathetic

The legislature was lethargic in considering the bill.

lethargically

lə-ˈthär-ji-k(ə-)lē 

le-

adverb

Did you know?

In Greek mythology, Lethe was the name of a river in the underworld that was also called "the River of Unmindfulness" or "the River of Forgetfulness." Legend held that when someone died, he or she was given a drink of water from the river Lethe to forget all about his or her past life. Eventually this act of forgetting came to be associated with feelings of sluggishness, inactivity, or indifference. The name of the river and the word lethargic, as well as the related noun lethargy, all derive from lēthē, Greek for "forgetfulness."

Synonyms

• dull
• inactive
• inert
• quiescent
• sleepy
• sluggish
• torpid

Examples of lethargic in a Sentence

You'll need to move your lure as slowly as possible to tempt the lethargic fish into feeding … —Lenny Rudow, Boating, December 1997

… became a drifter and for a time an alcoholic and finally lapsed into lethargic self-abasement. —Stanley Karnow, New York Times Book Review, 14 Oct. 1984

The audience was cold and lethargic. It is true there were about fifty-seven applauses, but they were not roars of enthusiasm by any means. —Lady Bird Johnson 12 Jan. 1966, in A White House Diary,  1970

The patient is weak and lethargic.

a big meal always makes me feel lethargic and sleepy

Recent Examples on the Web

This cool water jellyfish is lethargic and spends most of its time motionless or slowly pulsing its yellow yolk-like bell while drifting through the ocean. —Amiah Taylor, Discover Magazine, 10 Jan. 2024

Musk first unveiled the Cybertruck back in 2019, but the production timeline has been lethargic ever since. —Bydylan Sloan, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see lethargy

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!