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
Belonging to the same group of mammals as sloths and anteaters, armadillos are voracious insectivores that eat large numbers of beetles, grubs, ants, termites, and other insects, grabbing them with their sticky tongues.
—
Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 18 July 2025
This remains a place where crabs crawl out of the water at sunset, stingrays swim around surfers in the Pacific, and languidly smiling sloths—the national mascot—remind us all to slow down.
—Laura Dannen Redman, AFAR Media, 16 July 2025
Living in the dense tropical rainforests of Central and South America, the harpy eagle hunts monkeys, sloths, and other medium-sized mammals that few other birds would attempt to target.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
In addition to sloths and monkeys, Parque de Aventura is home to wild cats, anteaters, armadillos, and more than 100 species of birds.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sloth
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 18 July 2025
This remains a place where crabs crawl out of the water at sunset, stingrays swim around surfers in the Pacific, and languidly smiling sloths—the national mascot—remind us all to slow down.
—Laura Dannen Redman, AFAR Media, 16 July 2025
Living in the dense tropical rainforests of Central and South America, the harpy eagle hunts monkeys, sloths, and other medium-sized mammals that few other birds would attempt to target.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
In addition to sloths and monkeys, Parque de Aventura is home to wild cats, anteaters, armadillos, and more than 100 species of birds.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 22 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 21 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share