as in slowly
at a pace that is less than usual, desirable, or expected
the car responds sluggishly until it warms up
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Recent Examples of sluggishly
Lincoln-Way East started sluggishly, to say the least, and trailed 7-4 after one quarter before Brown entered the game and scored seven points in the second quarter.
—
Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
Cold weather slows the chemical reactions in these batteries, with the lithium ions moving more sluggishly through the electrolyte liquid.
—Miriam Fauzia, Dallas Morning News, 26 Jan. 2026
Quidone walked past a correction officer, looking sick, and again vomited into a dayroom trash bin before moving sluggishly back to his cell.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 16 Jan. 2026
While plenty of talent is coming back to Columbus, Ohio State has to speed things up offensively after playing too sluggishly this season.
—Paul Myerberg, USA Today, 2 Jan. 2026
Their survival to this day tells us Mars' mantle has evolved sluggishly over billions of years.
—Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
Cold weather slows the chemical reactions in these batteries, with the lithium ions moving more sluggishly through the electrolyte liquid.
—Miriam Fauzia, Dallas Morning News, 26 Jan. 2026
Quidone walked past a correction officer, looking sick, and again vomited into a dayroom trash bin before moving sluggishly back to his cell.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 16 Jan. 2026
While plenty of talent is coming back to Columbus, Ohio State has to speed things up offensively after playing too sluggishly this season.
—Paul Myerberg, USA Today, 2 Jan. 2026
Their survival to this day tells us Mars' mantle has evolved sluggishly over billions of years.
—Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sluggishly
slowly
Adverb
-
For those who can’t jump — or jog, climb stairs, play pickleball or engage in other exercises that involve impact — the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons suggests heel drops, which involve rising to your toes, then slowly lowering your heels to the ground.—
Adam Cohen,
Oklahoman,
3 Mar. 2026
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Subway tile and large-format tiles were once all the rage, but they're slowly being phased out in favor of more dynamic, colorful options.—
Helena Madden,
Martha Stewart,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sluggishly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sluggishly. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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