as in to relax
to spend time doing things that do not require much thought or effort; to be very lazy or inactive
I just spent the weekend vegetating at home. I'm worried that after I retire I'll just sit at home, watch TV, and vegetate.
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Recent Examples of vegetate
The program has documented more than 900 springs with flowing or standing water within Arizona’s Sky Islands region, 75 of them with moist ground only, 55 that are dry but still vegetated, and 272 that have dried completely.
—
Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 20 May 2024
About 30 minutes later, rescuers made voice contact with Blessing but were unable to reach him until about midnight, due to the steep and thickly vegetated terrain, Fish and Game said.
—Nick Stoico, BostonGlobe.com, 17 July 2023
All the turtles bought on impulse, vegetating in plastic lagoons.
—Anne Fadiman, Harper’s Magazine , 10 Feb. 2023
Why not vegetate?
—Jon Michail, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2022
See All Example Sentences for vegetate
Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 20 May 2024
About 30 minutes later, rescuers made voice contact with Blessing but were unable to reach him until about midnight, due to the steep and thickly vegetated terrain, Fish and Game said.
—Nick Stoico, BostonGlobe.com, 17 July 2023
All the turtles bought on impulse, vegetating in plastic lagoons.
—Anne Fadiman, Harper’s Magazine , 10 Feb. 2023
Why not vegetate?
—Jon Michail, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2022
See All Example Sentences for vegetate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vegetate
Verb
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Sleep disturbances While marijuana’s mild sedating and relaxing effects can sometimes help people who have difficulty falling asleep, experts say there are several important things to consider before using it as a sleep aid.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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Protect the nest and set kind rules everyone understands, because clarity gives you strength while your intuition helps the household relax.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Warriors were playing without starters Stephen Curry (knee) and Draymond Green (back), while Minnesota's Anthony Edwards was a late scratch to rest a recurring right foot injury.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Another reason is that sectors of the US economy continue to rest on an implicit bargain between the government, employers, and migrants.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Carefully add the liquids and stir for about 10 seconds to combine and begin to chill.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
24 Jan. 2026
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Hypothermia often begins with feeling chilled and shivering.—
Jesse Pines,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Vegetate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vegetate. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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