1
as in sleepy
slow to move or act
a torpid sloth that refused to budge off its tree branch
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in numb
lacking in sensation or feeling
my tongue and throat remained torpid for a time following the endoscopy
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of torpid
The intensity of that airlift — one of the largest in history — stands in sharp contrast to the torpid pace of evacuations after the withdrawal.
—
Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2022
This lowers the body temperature so much that a torpid hummingbird maintains a hypothermic threshold that nears death.
—Janaya Wecker, Good Housekeeping, 10 Aug. 2022
Inside, though, Ingrid is in a state of torpid discontent, unhappy with her circumstances but unsure of how to change them.
—Sarah Chihaya, The New York Review of Books, 25 May 2022
The water was so torpid that a thick layer of dust had settled onto it, giving it a cheerless brown tinge.
—Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2022
See All Example Sentences for torpid
Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2022
This lowers the body temperature so much that a torpid hummingbird maintains a hypothermic threshold that nears death.
—Janaya Wecker, Good Housekeeping, 10 Aug. 2022
Inside, though, Ingrid is in a state of torpid discontent, unhappy with her circumstances but unsure of how to change them.
—Sarah Chihaya, The New York Review of Books, 25 May 2022
The water was so torpid that a thick layer of dust had settled onto it, giving it a cheerless brown tinge.
—Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2022
See All Example Sentences for torpid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torpid
Adjective
-
The sleepy cues are managed by your circadian rhythm, or your body's internal clock.—
Andee Tagle,
NPR,
15 Jan. 2026
-
The cases remained unsolved for decades as the sleepy Long Island community reeled over the possibility of a serial killer lurking in their midst.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Like, like my legs are going numb.—
Outside Online,
Outside Online,
7 Jan. 2026
-
On my knees, my hands zip-tied behind me, my fingers and feet quickly grew numb.—
Emily Wilder,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
No, my mom was the ugliest in her family, the awkward, dull one.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Jan. 2026
-
Sharp knives are substantially safer than dull knives, confirms Bobby Griggs, vice president of Hammer Stahl Cutlery.—
Randi Gollin,
Martha Stewart,
15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Ingber also notes the numbed response to these strikes from much of the American public, something that, in part, may come from the routine nature of these drone strikes as something that the nation has become desensitized to dropping bombs on enemies.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The disparity between resilient consumer spending overall and sluggish performance at Saks Global reflects industrywide pain across department stores, as well as a growing divide between affluent and lower-income shoppers, some analysts said.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
14 Jan. 2026
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Watch as a sluggish start gives the other team the opportunity to come back, leading to a rock fight in the fourth.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
14 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Research repeatedly finds that people who get even moderate amounts of exercise during the day fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer compared to those who don’t move as much.—
Korin Miller,
SELF,
12 Jan. 2026
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The couple’s 1-year-old child was also found asleep in her crib, unharmed.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Philadelphia was again doomed by a lethargic offensive effort that cost it a shot at a repeat championship.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Jan. 2026
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Philadelphia was again doomed by a lethargic offensive effort that cost it a shot at a repeat championship.—
Dan Gelston,
Denver Post,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
But the astronomers suspect this kind of bursty young galaxy in the early universe may someday evolve into what's known as a massive quiescent galaxy in the modern-day cosmos.—
Paul Sutter,
Space.com,
21 Nov. 2025
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All of that water weight exerts a steady downward pressure, suppressing rifting and magma flow, and keeping the subterranean region relatively quiescent.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
12 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Torpid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torpid. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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