1
as in dilatoriness
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2
as in lethargy
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Recent Examples of sluggishness
Positively, though, sluggishness was a temporary trend.
—
Jeff Marks, CNBC, 20 Feb. 2026
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
Jeff Marks, CNBC, 20 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sluggishness
Noun
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Records show Bertrand was alert but severely impaired, with limited ability to follow commands, poor judgment, lethargy and a need for continuous nursing care, detectives say.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
24 Feb. 2026
-
The question now becomes whether hope can rejuvenate the moribund Aztecs, whether opportunity can erase lethargy.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The timing of this recent turn to tanking is just another example of the helpless, tireless tardiness that has plagued the Karnišovas era in Chicago.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Her slip dress and his tardiness show us that the two have a very different idea of what constitutes effort — that’s intelligent costuming.—
Rachel Tashjian,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The impossibility of keeping up breeds apathy and stymies opposition.—
Steve Chapman,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Mar. 2026
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After decades of apathy--which has pushed the nation to a fiscal precipice--some officials are now reaching across the aisle to propose solutions.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Staff who arrive late will be marked with an excused lateness, according to the district.—
Laura Fay,
CBS News,
25 Feb. 2026
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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
Noun
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Agentic commerce will undermine any model that relies on inertia, human friction, or inconvenience to survive.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
24 Feb. 2026
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Mechanically, the As2 features 12 degrees of freedom driven by low-inertia, high-speed inner rotor PMSM motors.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
24 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 7 Mar. 2026.
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