1
as in slow
moving or proceeding at less than the normal, desirable, or required speed
the sluggish pace of the project is worrisome
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sleepy
slow to move or act
reptiles are naturally sluggish at low temperatures
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sluggish
Her first urgent task is to address rising prices and sluggish wages and pass a budget bill to fund those measures, delayed by the election.
—
ABC News, 17 Feb. 2026
This approach allows the battery to remain responsive and reliable in environments that would normally render standard cells sluggish or unusable, CarNewsChina reports.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 15 Feb. 2026
Why have job gains been relatively sluggish?
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
The process is cumbersome, deliberate, sluggish … and long overdue.
—Bill Swank, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sluggish
ABC News, 17 Feb. 2026
This approach allows the battery to remain responsive and reliable in environments that would normally render standard cells sluggish or unusable, CarNewsChina reports.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 15 Feb. 2026
Why have job gains been relatively sluggish?
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
The process is cumbersome, deliberate, sluggish … and long overdue.
—Bill Swank, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sluggish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sluggish
Adjective
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But that boost also didn’t last long – 2025 was marked mostly by Russia’s slow, grinding offensive along the 1,200-kilometer-long frontline.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
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Implementing peace deals is notoriously difficult, so slow progress can be expected.—
Elizabeth Shackelford,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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One of those efforts, the super PAC Leading the Future, has already raised $125 million from sources including the backers of Palantir and OpenAI for the midterms — huge sums of money for races that were once often sleepy.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Sweden has been sleepy and out to lunch.—
Chris Pronger,
New York Times,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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In the heart of it all, the open-air Art Park is a destination in itself, ideal for leisurely walks, bike rides, or a picnic lunch on the grass.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Feb. 2026
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Keep your eyes out for destinations that allow for leisurely boat or lounge days, unique culinary possibilities, art and design experiences, wellness programming, and nature—without a party-first atmosphere, Del Duca recommends.—
Karla Walsh,
Southern Living,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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So is, arguably in softer garb, the trend of trigger warnings, which—mirroring the grim cancer label on a pack of cigarettes—dull the impact of a product or dissuade users entirely by advising them that its consumption may be hazardous to their health.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Feb. 2026
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These may just be the ordinary, dull rhythms of a relatively stable relationship, and yet these actors make the mundane so much more.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The lagging percentage of women film directors last year is a clear sign that the industry is going backward, said Kirsten Schaffer, chief executive of WIF, which advocates for women in Hollywood.—
Samantha Masunaga,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Jan. 2026
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The United States typically experiences the lagging edge of Latin American displacement waves.—
Newsweek Staff,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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After noticing the kids were lethargic and that the gummy worms contained THC, the woman took them to the hospital, according to a police report.—
Gina Lee Castro,
jsonline.com,
19 Feb. 2026
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The film’s rhythm turns lethargic as Kellou has to deal with her promise to take care of Aya, and while the audience is taken on a long journey where some of Kellou’s visions come true, nothing dramatic actually happens.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sluggish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sluggish. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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