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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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
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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.
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His charming character shined bright during our visits, though the staff reported him to be upset and lethargic throughout the week.
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Officers found the driver to be lethargic and under the influence of an unknown drug.
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Okay, so the lack of remote engine-starting capability ranks fairly low on our list of complaints (think of it as headlining our wish list), but the feature would alleviate our impatience with the diesel engine’s lethargic warm-up in cold weather.
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Lugubrious and lethargic, Humanz carries all the world-weariness Gorillaz brought to their previous work, just without the quixotic exuberance.
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His last concert here, nearly two years ago, found Elvis overweight, sick and prone to give a lethargic performance.
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An officer responding to a report picked up a lethargic barn swallow from a planter at a grocery store and took it to a wildlife rehabilitator.
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According to the affidavit, the medics said the baby was a bit lethargic and should be checked out at Riley Children's Hospital.
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.
Origin and Etymology of lethargic
see lethargy
LETHARGIC Defined for English Language Learners
lethargic
playDefinition of lethargic for English Language Learners
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: feeling a lack of energy or a lack of interest in doing things
Learn More about lethargic
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for lethargic Spanish Central: Translation of lethargic Nglish: Translation of lethargic for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of lethargic for Arabic speakers
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