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

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

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 So far, October has been sluggish after a stronger-than-expected September at the box office. — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026 Eight months and a sluggish first four games later, that is no longer the case. — Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 8 Oct. 2026 At the same time, sluggish growth makes new projects harder to finance, particularly at rents that lower-income residents can pay. — Harry Bruinius, Christian Science Monitor, 6 Oct. 2026 Home buying, a traditional trigger for adding a dog to the family, has been stifled by a combination of elevated real estate prices, sluggish real wage growth and higher mortgage rates. — Robert Granader, Washington Post, 4 Oct. 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
  • On winding roads, its model-specific suspension tuning and focus on weight reduction translate into exceptional body control at speed without becoming brittle or overly rigid in slower, more technical sections.
    — Bradley Iger, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2026
  • In particular, he was asked about Netflix’s slower growth (2% year-over-year growth in user engagement during the first half in 2026).
    — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of slow
Adjective
  • What was once a boring, sleepy issue where the PUC made decisions more or less in a vacuum is no longer the case.
    — Jordan Blum, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • On what had been something of a sleepy early Saturday afternoon for the Washington Capitals, Ryan Leonard suddenly produced a scintillating effort that ignited the home team.
    — Des Bieler, Washington Post, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of sleepy
Adjective
  • But in order to make the most of the experiment, scientists ensured a second spacecraft would follow DART at a more leisurely pace.
    — Meghan Bartels, Space.com, 14 Oct. 2026
  • If a leisurely day by the pool is on the agenda, order chips and guac or sip a Valley Margarita from the comfort of your chaise lounge.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of leisurely
Adjective
  • Many of the strongest initial applications are the dull, dirty, and dangerous tasks that go unfilled, contribute to injuries, and pull people away from higher-value judgment and exception handling.
    — Navin Chaddha, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • But in the years between Logic1000’s in-your-face debut EP and 2024’s duller, more careful Mother, her solo work became less singular.
    — Cassidy Sollazzo, Pitchfork, 14 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
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sluggish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sluggish. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All