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 animals include Maple the sloth, Casper the albino iguana and Aphrodite the boa constrictor.
—
Jan Wagner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 June 2025
The sanctuary also has two bobcats, six sloths, lemurs, capybaras, a caracal, a Geoffroy’s cat, birds of prey — and three kangaroos.
—Natalia Jaramillo, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 June 2025
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What do horses, armadillos, sloths, and tapirs all have in common?
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 21 Feb. 2025
The aquatic sloth Thalassocnus even evolved marine adaptations similar to manatees.
—Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sloth
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Jan Wagner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 June 2025
The sanctuary also has two bobcats, six sloths, lemurs, capybaras, a caracal, a Geoffroy’s cat, birds of prey — and three kangaroos.
—Natalia Jaramillo, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 June 2025
Newsletter Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news
What do horses, armadillos, sloths, and tapirs all have in common?
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 21 Feb. 2025
The aquatic sloth Thalassocnus even evolved marine adaptations similar to manatees.
—Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 May 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 18 Jun. 2025.
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