Illustration of sloth
- sloth 2
plural sloths
ˈslȯths 
ˈslȯṯẖz,
ˈsläths,
ˈsläṯẖz
also ˈslōths,
ˈslōṯẖz
1
a
: disinclination to action or labor : indolence
b
: spiritual apathy and inactivity
the deadly sin of sloth
2
: any of various slow-moving arboreal edentate mammals (genera Bradypus and Choloepus) that inhabit tropical forests of South and Central America, hang from the branches back downward, and feed on leaves, shoots, and fruits compare three-toed sloth, two-toed sloth
Examples of sloth in a Sentence
the sins of gluttony and sloth
a youth inclined more toward sloth than athletics
Recent Examples on the Web
The cave floor was covered in layers of fossils — including sloths, birds, and reptiles — mostly derived from owl pellets (indigestible remains coughed up by owls).
—
Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 17 Dec. 2025
Stillness is sloth and sloth is laziness and laziness is losing the herd.
—Literary Hub, 15 Dec. 2025
The park is also home to a variety of wildlife, including sloths, birds, and monkeys.
—Celia Fernandez, CNBC, 8 Nov. 2025
In the series, audiences will learn more about the animals that lived in the Pleistocene era, millions of years after the extinction of the dinosaurs, including the Megalonyx jeffersonii (also known as the snow sloth).
—Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sloth
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Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 17 Dec. 2025
Stillness is sloth and sloth is laziness and laziness is losing the herd.
—Literary Hub, 15 Dec. 2025
The park is also home to a variety of wildlife, including sloths, birds, and monkeys.
—Celia Fernandez, CNBC, 8 Nov. 2025
In the series, audiences will learn more about the animals that lived in the Pleistocene era, millions of years after the extinction of the dinosaurs, including the Megalonyx jeffersonii (also known as the snow sloth).
—Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sloth
Cite this Entry
“Sloth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sloth. Accessed 21 Dec. 2025.
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