lethargic

adjective le·thar·gic \ lə-ˈthär-jik , le- \

Definition of lethargic

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.

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lethargically

play \lə-ˈthär-ji-k(ə-)lē, le-\ adverb

See lethargic defined for English-language learners

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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 of lethargic from the Web

Even after conceding, Arsenal remained as chaotic and lethargic, never looking capable of mounting a comeback.

— USA TODAY, "Liverpool humiliates Arsenal to win 4-0 in Premier League," 27 Aug. 2017
Mark Collins reports from Weiss Lake that surface temperatures are 85 to 87 degrees, which makes most of the bass lethargic.

— frank sargeant, AL.com, "Friday Fishing Report," 25 Aug. 2017
When out of whack, a person may feel lethargic, anxious or angry.

— alexandria bordas, miamiherald, "Worried about school’s start? Try these foods to curb anxiety, tap your inner dosha," 4 Aug. 2017
This is a tune for the hot, lethargic days and steamy, neon nights. 2.

— kat bein, Billboard, "Black Coffee's 15 Best Songs: Critic's Picks," 1 Aug. 2017
However, one week later, Mariana wasn't eating and seemed lethargic.

— katina beniaris, Woman's Day, "A Mother Is Warning Others After Her Newborn Died of a Virus Caught By a Kiss," 18 July 2017
Police responded to reports of a crash at the intersection West Benson Street and Jefferson Avenue and found Jennifer Ray, 35, visually impaired, lethargic and making random eye movements, according to court documents.

— mariel padilla, Cincinnati.com, "Police: Reading mother arrested after OVI crash with 10-year-old daughter," 17 July 2017
His charming character shined bright during our visits, though the staff reported him to be upset and lethargic throughout the week.

— lisa deaderick, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Helping her patients heal with music," 15 July 2017
The Buckeyes beat Hawaii 38-0 in 2015, and looked about as lethargic as a team can look while still winning 38-0.

— cleveland.com, "Can UNLV beat Ohio State? A 0.1 percent chance the Buckeyes could lose," 13 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lethargic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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 lethe, Greek for forgetfulness.