sluggish

adjective

slug·gish | \ ˈslə-gish

Definition of sluggish

1 : averse to activity or exertion : indolent also : torpid

2 : slow to respond (as to stimulation or treatment)

3a : markedly slow in movement, flow, or growth

b : economically inactive or slow

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

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Examples of sluggish in a Sentence

The game picked up after a sluggish start. the sluggish pace of the project is worrisome

Recent Examples on the Web

The upshot is that those devices can often feel sluggish or laggy compared to subsequent models. — Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, "iOS 12 on the iPhone 5S, iPhone 6 Plus, and iPad Mini 2: It’s actually faster!," 17 Sep. 2018 Renacci's sluggish performance U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci, a Republican from Wadsworth, had everything going for him in the Senate race. — Seth A. Richardson & Andrew J. Tobias, cleveland.com, "Here are the 9 most interesting storylines from this week's Ohio primary election," 11 May 2018 Unfortunately, the second season gives Dolores the least-interesting plot, and her scenes in the park feel sluggish and dull compared to the new locations, characters and technologies that many of the characters discover. — Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, "Review: HBO's ‘Westworld’ is smarter, faster, stronger in Season 2," 13 Apr. 2018 The thing looks like a pale leaf but is made of jade and is supposed to move sluggish lymph fluid and ease facial tension. — Alice Gregory, Allure, "I Got Fillers for My Chronic Undereye Circles, and the Results Were Impressive," 28 Apr. 2019 Voters are also disappointed with an economy that shrank two years in a row and remains sluggish today, with nearly 13 million workers unemployed. — Paulo Trevisani, WSJ, "With Few Jobs and Much Anger, Brazilians Go to the Polls," 25 Oct. 2018 Hiring by small businesses — defined as those with fewer than 50 employees — remained sluggish last month and depressed overall job growth. — Christopher Rugaber, Fox News, "Survey: US companies added a solid 163,000 jobs in August," 6 Sep. 2018 Friday’s jobs report showed that hiring was strong in June but that wage growth remained sluggish. — New York Times, "Moguls Rub Shoulders in Idaho, and China Releases Trade Numbers," 8 July 2018 Houston's luxury home sales remain sluggish even as oil prices are rebounding from the downturn, a new housing report shows. — Paul Takahashi, Houston Chronicle, "Luxury home sales stagnant even as oil prices rebound," 13 June 2018

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