vegetate

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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of vegetate 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 Spores can also persist indefinitely in contaminated soil and may vegetate in grazeland, which could further spread the infection among South Dakota’s cattle. From Usa Today Network and Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 29 Sep. 2022 See All Example Sentences for vegetate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vegetate
Verb
  • The lounge is outfitted with a luxurious sofa to relax in.
    Kimberley Mok, Travel + Leisure, 3 June 2025
  • Its ace in the hole is the D+ Lens, a proprietary technology that has been engineered to relax the eye muscles in relation to light and color transmission and serves as the foundation of its best-selling Junya Racer line.
    Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 2 June 2025
Verb
  • Orlando rested its best offensive weapons after their return from international duty, opting to save them for the second half instead.
    Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 June 2025
  • The victory put to rest the bad memories of her 2022 French Open final loss to Iga Swiatek when, as an 18-year-old, Gauff felt overwhelmed even before stepping onto Court Philippe-Chatrier.
    Jerome Pugmire, Baltimore Sun, 7 June 2025
Verb
  • After baking, chilling them in the fridge for an hour locks in moisture and gives them a dense, chewy texture.
    Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 6 June 2025
  • Limoncello, a lemon liqueur made from zest and sugar, has long been served chilled after meals.
    Rachel King, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Vegetate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vegetate. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.

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