slouch

noun

\ ˈslau̇ch

Definition of slouch

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : an awkward fellow : lout

b : one that is unimpressive especially : a lazy or incompetent person —used in negative constructions was no slouch at cooking

2 : a gait or posture characterized by an ungainly stooping of the head and shoulders or excessive relaxation of body muscles

slouch

verb

slouched; slouching; slouches

Definition of slouch (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to walk, stand, or sit with a slouch : assume a slouch

2 : droop

3 : to go or move slowly or reluctantly

transitive verb

: to cause to droop slouched his shoulders

Other Words from slouch Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about slouch

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Examples of slouch in a Sentence

Noun

She walks with a slouch. is no slouch when it comes to cooking

Verb

Sit up straight. Please don't slouch. She slouched into the room. The boy was slouching over his school books.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The strap is strong, and the body is expandable, curvy, and carefree, sometimes complete with a bit of slouch. — Alexandra Gurvitch, Vogue, "Why the Hobo Bag Should Make a Comeback in 2019," 24 Dec. 2018 Small details now become clues to subjects’ personalities: a casual slouch or confident tilt of the head, a hand on the hip, a smile. — Allie Spensley, WSJ, "‘African American Portraits: Photographs From the 1940s and 1950s’ Review: Depictions Free From Bias," 21 July 2018 At 5-foot-9 my head was against the roof even in a slouch. — Robert Duffer, chicagotribune.com, "Review: 2017 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid is a smooth three-row marvel," 12 June 2017 As for accessories, Gaga was drawn to black leather slouch boots, as well as her favorite top-handle bag of the moment: a new Celine style by Hedi Slimane. — Christian Allaire, Vogue, "Lady Gaga’s Red Carpet Style Is Extreme, But on the Streets, It’s All Minimalist," 10 Jan. 2019 As for the cast, 2008's Smash Bros. Brawl was the first to kick any of the series' older characters to the curb, while 2014's Smash 4 left a few fighters behind—but neither was a slouch in beefing up the combatant roster. — Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, "Smash Bros. Ultimate review: The best fighting game on any Nintendo system," 6 Dec. 2018 This season, there’s a pair for every personality: combat boots, kinky thigh-highs, ankle booties, ’80s-era slouch boots, metallic block heels . . — Emily Farra, Vogue, "Made for Walking: Shop Fall’s Best (Affordable!) Boots for Under $200," 30 Oct. 2018 The chain has made a few tweaks in recent years, opting to get rid of the white slouch socks that were a hot athleisure trend in the ’80s. — Vox, "Hooters is closing restaurants. Is its offensive uniform to blame?," 4 Oct. 2018 But the Braves are no slouches in the pitching department, with a team ERA of 3.47—eighth best in baseball. — Si.com Staff, SI.com, "Quarter-Season Roundtable: Are the Dodgers Finished? Are the Braves Legitimate?," 17 May 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Addressing reporters before the one-on-one meeting, Putin struck a casual pose during Trump’s remarks, slouching in his chair with his legs wide and eyes low. — Vladimir Isachenkov, The Seattle Times, "Trump questions US intel, not Putin, on Russia 2016 meddling," 16 July 2018 As the recovery slouched into the early part of this decade, a handful of top-ranking executives huddled here and there, always discreetly, to discuss their most obvious problem. — Thomas Gryta And Ted Mann, WSJ, "GE Powered the American Century—Then It Burned Out," 14 Dec. 2018 Seated in Helsinki's ornate Gothic Hall, Putin appeared to slouch in his chair and looked off to the side at times on Monday, avoiding eye contact with Trump at the start of their high-profile talks. — Ken Thomas And Jonathan Lemire, Fox News, "The wink, the slouch -- the non-verbal cues at the summit," 16 July 2018 Seated in Helsinki’s ornate Gothic Hall, Putin appeared to slouch in his chair and looked off to the side at times on Monday, avoiding eye contact with Trump at the start of their high-profile talks. — Jonathan Lemire, The Seattle Times, "The wink, the slouch — the non-verbal cues at the summit," 16 July 2018 This has been true at least since the ’60s, when album covers taught Baby Boomers how to dress, how to wear their hair, even how to slouch. — David Kirby, WSJ, "What to Give: Books on Music," 15 Nov. 2018 Impressive communal areas, with plenty of space to hang out, work on a laptop, grab a latte, or just slouch on a sofa, are increasingly important for this reason—and also the Generator's bottom line, CEO Alastair Thomann explains. — Mark Ellwood, Condé Nast Traveler, "How Hostels Became Poshtels: The Remaking of a Backpacker's Hangout," 12 Sep. 2018 Slumping or slouching regularly—or engaging in other forms of bad posture—can lead to a slew of issues over time. — Korin Miller, SELF, "Here’s How to Actually Have Good Posture (and Why You Should Care)," 11 Oct. 2018 Kayla slouches her way into the pool and looks around. — Chelsea Greenwood Lassman, Teen Vogue, "Elsie Fisher in "Eighth Grade" Is a Necessary, Honest Portrayal of Modern Adolescence," 18 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'slouch.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near slouch

Statistics for slouch

Last Updated

5 Mar 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for slouch

The first known use of slouch was in 1515

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More Definitions for slouch

slouch

noun

English Language Learners Definition of slouch

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a way of walking, sitting, or standing with the head and shoulders bent forward

informal : a lazy or worthless person

slouch

verb

English Language Learners Definition of slouch (Entry 2 of 2)

: to walk, sit, or stand lazily with your head and shoulders bent forward

See the full definition for slouch in the English Language Learners Dictionary

slouch

noun

\ ˈslau̇ch

Kids Definition of slouch

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a lazy worthless person He's no slouch as a worker.

2 : a way of standing, sitting, or walking with the head and shoulders bent forward

slouch

verb

slouched; slouching

Kids Definition of slouch (Entry 2 of 2)

: to walk, stand, or sit lazily with the head and shoulders bent forward But their laughter slowly turned to silence till finally Peter slouched into a chair.— Chris Van Allsburg, Jumanji