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.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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 mood among the squad was relaxed throughout Monday and Tuesday.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
-
Or Martha’s Vineyard to relax around the shores with their families.—
Taylor Crumpton,
Time,
22 May 2025
Verb
-
But Lee says the burden shouldn’t rest entirely on employees.—
Alice Park,
Time,
16 May 2025
-
Tottenham will likely rest most of their strongest XI, with Villa viewing this as another critical moment in narrowing the gap.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
Verb
-
Churn the Ice Cream: Once chilled, pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions (typically 20-25 minutes).—
Matt Rozo,
Mercury News,
12 May 2025
-
Those beans are soaked overnight before being cooked and blended, placed on trays to chill for another 24 hours or so before other ingredients are added.—
Andrew Watman,
Forbes.com,
12 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vegetate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vegetate. Accessed 28 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share