1
as in dilatoriness
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2
as in lethargy
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Recent Examples of sluggishness
There were two good reasons for the sluggishness and sloppiness.
—
Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
The question, then, is whether the sluggishness of the business, the suffering of union members and threats on the horizon might dissuade either side from playing hardball — or whether recent events will embolden one or the other.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 16 Jan. 2026
That means less oxygen reaching your brain—and more sluggishness.
—Lauryn Higgins, Time, 18 Dec. 2025
In January 2025, the two companies moved beyond a traditional client-consultant relationship to form a dedicated joint venture, a move designed to bypass the sluggishness of typical corporate structures.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 16 Dec. 2025
At the time, Powell said that the FOMC was about evenly divided on who supported a December rate cut given the sluggishness of the economy, and those who were too fearful of stoking inflation higher given the uncertainty of how trade policy would develop.
—Sylvan Lane, The Hill, 10 Dec. 2025
Adding the after-dinner activities described above to your holidays not only relieves bloating and sluggishness but also promotes a healthy, balanced approach to enjoying the season.
—Dana Santas, CNN Money, 21 Nov. 2025
Investors cheered the earnings results, sending shares up 3% in after-hours trading, ending weeks of sluggishness as the stock pulled well back from its high north of $20.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 10 Nov. 2025
After an extended stretch of sluggishness, investors were happy to look past third-quarter results and current-quarter guidance that were solid, not stellar.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2025
Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
The question, then, is whether the sluggishness of the business, the suffering of union members and threats on the horizon might dissuade either side from playing hardball — or whether recent events will embolden one or the other.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 16 Jan. 2026
That means less oxygen reaching your brain—and more sluggishness.
—Lauryn Higgins, Time, 18 Dec. 2025
In January 2025, the two companies moved beyond a traditional client-consultant relationship to form a dedicated joint venture, a move designed to bypass the sluggishness of typical corporate structures.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 16 Dec. 2025
At the time, Powell said that the FOMC was about evenly divided on who supported a December rate cut given the sluggishness of the economy, and those who were too fearful of stoking inflation higher given the uncertainty of how trade policy would develop.
—Sylvan Lane, The Hill, 10 Dec. 2025
Adding the after-dinner activities described above to your holidays not only relieves bloating and sluggishness but also promotes a healthy, balanced approach to enjoying the season.
—Dana Santas, CNN Money, 21 Nov. 2025
Investors cheered the earnings results, sending shares up 3% in after-hours trading, ending weeks of sluggishness as the stock pulled well back from its high north of $20.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 10 Nov. 2025
After an extended stretch of sluggishness, investors were happy to look past third-quarter results and current-quarter guidance that were solid, not stellar.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sluggishness
Noun
-
Like hibernation, this dormant period is characterized by lethargy and a waning appetite during the colder months, according to Nationwide Pet Insurance.—
Tanasia Kenney,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Feb. 2026
-
And the home side seemingly used that sense of injustice to shake off their lethargy, with the rest of the first half a consistent stream of Napoli attacks.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
And at least one student benefitted from his tardiness.—
Max Klaver,
Miami Herald,
4 Feb. 2026
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On the field, nobody judged a teammate for tardiness or lack of equipment.—
Aaron Heisen,
Daily News,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Analysts say the turnout strongly suggests voter apathy, while polling data showed frustrations over crime and the higher cost of living.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Many of the musicians and audience members belonged to a generation that’s often stereotyped as languishing in apathy and isolation—but whose indignation about the suffering in Gaza has far outpaced that of other generations.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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How must Yves Bissouma, who was left out of the squad for August’s UEFA Super Cup penalty shootout defeat to Paris-Saint Germain due to persistent lateness, feel watching his team-mate avoid facing the consequences?—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
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Feldman provides an exceptional guide to a culture that produced castrati only to discard them, and to the haunted sense of too-lateness that left Moreschi outside his own life.—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Over that first act, however, the film also resists much narrative or thematic momentum, unfolding in glimpses and vignettes meant to underscore inertia and to emphasize production design.—
Ben Croll,
IndieWire,
13 Feb. 2026
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By inertia, some vestiges remain of the awful weeks in 2022 when enemy forces stood at the edge of Kyiv.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
12 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Europe’s lassitude is heightened by internal divisions.—
HENRY FARRELL,
Foreign Affairs,
19 Aug. 2025
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As something of a companion piece to More, Jacques Deray’s summer thriller La Piscine is a far more dramatic and insidious tale of tropical desire, lassitude, and violence.—
Erik Morse,
Vogue,
26 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sluggishness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sluggishness. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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