sluggish

adjective

slug·​gish ˈslə-gish How to pronounce sluggish (audio)
1
: averse to activity or exertion : indolent
also : torpid
2
: slow to respond (as to stimulation or treatment)
3
a
: markedly slow in movement, flow, or growth
b
: economically inactive or slow
sluggishly adverb
sluggishness noun

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 third time proved a charm, however, as host Chatsworth overcame a sluggish start to take control in the fourth quarter to post a decisive 62-47 victory. Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024 But experts point to years, even decades, of sluggish housing construction before then that meant the country didn’t have enough homes when the pandemic hit. Rachel Siegel, Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2024 The Chinese search giant relies on online advertising for more than half of total sales, which stood at 35 billion yuan ($4.9 billion) in the last quarter, but faces sluggish demand as companies cut back spending amid a softening Chinese economy. Yue Wang, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 While the consumption of big-ticket items like property remained sluggish, purchases of inexpensive items boomed. Laura He, CNN, 19 Feb. 2024 Enceladus does so because its icy crust is decoupled from its more sluggish underlying ocean. Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 7 Feb. 2024 Until then, here are three takeaways from the Tigers’ 13th straight SEC loss: Defense starts strong for Missouri basketball Both teams got off to sluggish starts, leading to a (very) low-scoring first half. Cade Hampton, Kansas City Star, 20 Feb. 2024 While advertising revenue was sluggish in 2023, iHeartMedia improved its balance sheet by reducing the face value of its debt from $1.5 billion to about $900 million, saving it about $43 million in annual interest payments. Glenn Peoples, Billboard, 13 Feb. 2024 Outside investigators later criticized the department for its sluggish response, and the scandal became another key reason in 2022 that the department failed to shed its decades-long federal oversight. Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 9 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sluggish.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sluggish was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near sluggish

Cite this Entry

“Sluggish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sluggish. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sluggish

adjective
slug·​gish ˈsləg-ish How to pronounce sluggish (audio)
: slow in movement or reaction by habit or condition
sluggishly adverb
sluggishness noun

Medical Definition

sluggish

adjective
slug·​gish ˈsləg-ish How to pronounce sluggish (audio)
: markedly slow in movement, progression, or response
sluggish healing
sluggishly adverb
sluggishness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on sluggish

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