sluggish

adjective

ˈslə-gish How to pronounce sluggish (audio)
Definition of sluggishnext
1
as in slow
moving or proceeding at less than the normal, desirable, or required speed the sluggish pace of the project is worrisome

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sleepy
slow to move or act reptiles are naturally sluggish at low temperatures

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sluggish Nothing kills the mood more than slow, sluggish, or inconsistent Wi-Fi. — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 28 Sep. 2026 Gavin Lahm added a field goal for the Badgers, who were sluggish and mistake-prone in the first two periods and trailed 17-7 at halftime. — CBS News, 27 Sep. 2026 Russell completed 21 of 27 passes as Alabama answered a sluggish third quarter with two fourth-quarter touchdowns. — ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026 No wonder Mahomes had a sluggish start before completing 13 of his final 15 passes in the 31-10 victory over the Broncos. — Kansas City Star, 24 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sluggish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sluggish
  1. slow
  2. sleepy
  3. leisurely
  4. dull
  5. lagging
  6. lethargic
Adjective
  • The slow rate at which this is occurring indicates this cosmic vampirism will last for hundreds of thousands to billions of years.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The problem is that these systems are slow, expensive and don’t scale.
    — Reynald Fasciaux, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of slow
Adjective
  • The Hawkeyes were taking on (the) Ohio State University last weekend in the biggest event of the year for sleepy Iowa City, and this New Englander wanted to tailgate at a Big Ten college football game.
    — Carine Hajjar, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2026
  • On the afternoon of October 3, a crowd of unhappy protesters gathered along a busy street in the heart of Huntington, New York, a sleepy suburb along the northern coast of Long Island.
    — Adam B. Vary, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of sleepy
Adjective
  • Jalsa has excellent food, leisurely service, and a robot waiter of unclear utility.
    — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The exterior is well equipped for leisurely days—including a shaded hammock, large deck, and a fire pit with Adirondack chairs beneath a string of bistro lights.
    — Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of leisurely
Adjective
  • Saving the best for last, Reiter was certainly a bright spot on an otherwise dull episode.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2026
  • These gadgets work wonders for at-home maintenance between in-office treatments, or on their own as a pick-me-up—targeting everything from stubborn hair to dull skin.
    — Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of dull
Adjective
  • Every initiative should identify its operational leading indicator, financial lagging indicator, value owner and realization mechanism.
    — Todd Bernson, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Just last month, Microsoft began layoffs of 20% of its Xbox employees as part of a sweeping reorganization to revive the company’s lagging games division.
    — Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of lagging
Adjective
  • The national committee has faced a host of criticism from other Democrats for its lethargic fundraising, including calls for DNC Chair Ken Martin to step down that have so far gone unheeded.
    — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The show was also horribly paced, with way too many pointless instrumental spotlights that somehow managed to come across as both showy and lethargic at the same time.
    — Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of lethargic

Browse Nearby Words

slugging (down)
sluggish
sluggishly
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Cite this Entry

“Sluggish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sluggish. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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