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

My one-year-old Series 3 is by no means sluggish, but the Series 4 is noticeably faster when completing simple and complex tasks. — Valentina Palladino, Ars Technica, "Apple Watch Series 4 review: A bigger, better watchOS experience," 26 Sep. 2018 The Fed has raised rates several times already, while the ECB has been much slower to withdraw stimulus because the economic recovery in Europe has been more sluggish. — David Mchugh, Fox News, "European Central Bank to take next step in tapering stimulus," 13 Sep. 2018 Experts attribute the relatively sluggish market to a perfect storm of factors—including, well, storms. — Chris Taylor, Fortune, "Why Your Summer House Could Be a Shaky Investment," 29 May 2018 Turnout, which had often been sluggish in the Democratic bases of Madison and Milwaukee, was well ahead of previous years. — David Weigel, Anchorage Daily News, "Democrat wins a bitter, costly race for Wisconsin Supreme Court," 4 Apr. 2018 Cleveland came in 21-9 in Calderon’s starts, but the Cavs were sluggish for most of the night before their late burst. — Tom Withers, star-telegram, "LeBron struggles before sinking clutch baskets late as Cavaliers brush off Mavericks | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 1 Apr. 2018 The 31-year-old Escobar was hoping for a long-term contract in free agency, but the offers never materialized in what has been a sluggish market for all positions. — USA TODAY, "Royals sign SS Alcides Escobar to 1-year, $2.5 million deal," 29 Jan. 2018 The problem is sluggish demand in Europe, where an overreliance on fashion products such as Stan Smith trainers means Adidas is now losing market share. — Carol Ryan, WSJ, "Adidas Has Taken Its Eye Off the Ball at Home," 7 Nov. 2018 The software seemed extremely sluggish, apps continuously opened accidentally, and the orientation kept changing randomly when one of the Royole representatives was demonstrating the folding process. — Nick Statt, The Verge, "We tried the world’s first folding phone, and it actually works," 6 Nov. 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.