lethargic
adjective
le·thar·gic
lə-ˈthär-jik 
le-
1
2
: indifferent, apathetic
The legislature was lethargic in considering the bill.
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, they were given a drink of water from the river Lethe to forget all about their 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 come from lēthē, 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
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
When McCaughan got ahead in the count 0-2, a crowd largely quieted by a lethargic Twins offense got loud enough for the pitcher to notice.
—Dan Hayes, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025
The Nuggets, who looked so energized as a unit in Tuesday night’s Game 5 win, looked lethargic and exhausted in large stretches of Game 6.
—Tony Jones, New York Times, 2 May 2025
The Jayhawks were again lethargic vs. the Wildcats.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 14 Mar. 2025
The toddler appears to be lethargic while in hospital.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for lethargic
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Dan Hayes, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025
The Nuggets, who looked so energized as a unit in Tuesday night’s Game 5 win, looked lethargic and exhausted in large stretches of Game 6.
—Tony Jones, New York Times, 2 May 2025
The Jayhawks were again lethargic vs. the Wildcats.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 14 Mar. 2025
The toddler appears to be lethargic while in hospital.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for lethargic
Cite this Entry
“Lethargic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lethargic. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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