lethargic

adjective

le·thar·gic | \ lə-ˈthär-jik

How to pronounce lethargic (audio)

, 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.

Other Words from lethargic Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about lethargic

Keep scrolling for more

Synonyms & Antonyms for lethargic

Synonyms

dull, inactive, inert, quiescent, sleepy, sluggish, torpid

Antonyms

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.

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

Smith has repeatedly sabotaged Cleveland’s defense with halfhearted switches and lethargic closeouts. — Christopher L. Gasper, BostonGlobe.com, "Celtics making path to NBA Finals a mission possible," 16 May 2018 My typically affectionate cat recently became very lethargic. — Dr. Rob Sharp, Country Living, "My Cat Stopped Purring. Is She Sick?," 3 Feb. 2010 The Department of Justice is reportedly investigating the FBI for its lethargic response. — Jason Schmidt, Glamour, "The Army of Women Who Took Down Larry Nassar," 30 Oct. 2018 But there’s no reason to live with feeling lethargic, fatigued, and miserable. — Korin Miller, SELF, "Houston Astros Pitcher Josh James Discovered His 'Laziness' Was Actually a Symptom of Sleep Apnea," 19 Oct. 2018 The net effect is always the same: ballooning debt and a lethargic economy followed by devaluation or default or both. — Mary Anastasia O’grady, WSJ, "Argentina Needs to Dollarize," 9 Sep. 2018 The teen appeared lethargic and incoherent, as if under the influence of alcohol or drugs. — Ashley Luthern, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Mom, activists find missing Milwaukee girl in Chicago after disturbing video posts on Facebook," 29 June 2018 Poland looked slow and lethargic throughout the first half, with little indication that the players were keen to end a miserable World Cup on a high note with a win. — SI.com, "Japan 0-1 Poland: Samurai Blue Through on Fair Play After Drab Defeat in Volgograd," 28 June 2018 The fly-in patient was a humming bird who appeared weak and lethargic. — Zoe Szathmary, Fox News, "Virginia firefighters treat guest hummingbird with sugar water in social media post," 25 June 2018

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.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about lethargic

Listen to Our Podcast about lethargic

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Dictionary Entries near lethargic

Statistics for lethargic

Last Updated

26 Jan 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for lethargic

The first known use of lethargic was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for lethargic

lethargic

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of lethargic

: feeling a lack of energy or a lack of interest in doing things

See the full definition for lethargic in the English Language Learners Dictionary

Keep scrolling for more

Comments on lethargic

What made you want to look up lethargic? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

WORD OF THE DAY

magniloquent

grandiloquent, ostentatious, or bombastic

Test Your Vocabulary

Original Meanings Quiz

Which of the following is the earliest known sense of the word awe?

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ

Word Winder's CrossWinder

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games