sluggish

adjective

slug·​gish ˈslə-gish 

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

Synonyms of sluggish

• slow
• leisurely
• lagging

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

After a sluggish start, UM used a dominant finish to the first half to take a lead and carried that momentum over en route to a 38-10 win over the Syracuse Orange on Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium. —Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 8 Nov. 2025

The country has been enduring sluggish consumer spending, alongside a prolonged downturn in the property sector. —Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 7 Nov. 2025

Long tale John Sackrison, executive director of the Orange County Auto Dealers Association, links his industry’s sluggish sales malaise to the supply chain challenges created during the pandemic. —Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 7 Nov. 2025

Peyton had already been feeling sluggish when, in September 2023, a school soccer game wiped her out completely. —Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 5 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

sluggish

adjective

slug·​gish ˈsləg-ish 

: slow in movement or reaction by habit or condition

sluggishly adverb

sluggishness noun

Medical Definition

sluggish

adjective

slug·​gish ˈsləg-ish 

: markedly slow in movement, progression, or response

sluggish healing

sluggishly adverb

sluggishness noun