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
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
The ongoing slog has come to symbolize the dilemma multinationals face when confronting Germany’s notoriously torpid bureaucracy.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2022
See All Example Sentences for torpid
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
The ongoing slog has come to symbolize the dilemma multinationals face when confronting Germany’s notoriously torpid bureaucracy.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2022
See All Example Sentences for torpid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torpid
Adjective
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Signs to treat fevers include being unusually sleepy, cranky and refusing food and drinks.—
Erika Edwards,
NBC news,
6 Nov. 2025
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Trancoso, Bahia The opening of Uxua Casa Hotel & Spa in 2009 transformed the sleepy fishing village of Trancoso into a boho-chic hot spot.—
Maya Kachroo-Levine,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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For one, Chicago is getting numb to seeing its erstwhile heroes in another city’s colors by now.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
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Fans are numb to these sorts of stories.—
Mac Engel
October 23,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Instead, watching Charles attempt to insert himself into the Garfield Administration by forging papers and sneaking into buildings feels repetitive and a bit dull.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
6 Nov. 2025
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Their life in Watertown had been ordinary, maybe even dull sometimes.—
Jamie Thompson,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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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
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After a sluggish start, UM used a dominant finish to the first half to take a lead and carried that momentum over en route to a 38-10 win over the Syracuse Orange on Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
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The country has been enduring sluggish consumer spending, alongside a prolonged downturn in the property sector.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Nine Ukrainian regions came under attack, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky, with the latest assault coming as many were asleep.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
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Taken to a spiritual realm, the children remain asleep and safe from the extremists’ influence.—
Isadora Wandermurem,
Time,
8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Newcastle instantly responded, with West Ham lethargic, noting that their opponent’s midfield trio of Paqueta, Potts, and Mateus Fernandes had been drawn upfield.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
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Some dogs may also destroy items, try to escape, or seem sad and lethargic when left alone.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The bottom line is that responsibility for today’s rising positive results for COVID-19 and other once quiescent ailments like pertussis runs directly through Kennedy and Trump.—
Thomas Elias,
Mercury News,
27 Sep. 2025
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Throughout most of modern history, it was thought that prudent government debt management involved bringing down the ratio of debt to GDP during quiescent periods of growth in order to store fiscal ammunition for the next crisis.—
Kenneth S. Rogoff,
Foreign Affairs,
19 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Torpid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torpid. Accessed 30 Nov. 2025.
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