as in relaxing
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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as in dormant
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vegetating
Verb
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Hold for 20-30 seconds, focusing on relaxing your neck and breathing deeply.—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
14 Oct. 2025 -
With a minute left in the first half of Sunday’s game and momentum relaxing on Denver’s sideline, Glenn and the Jets dialed up a fake punt on 4th-and-1 from their 37-yard line.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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To care for a dormant plant during winter, store hibiscus in a dark, unheated garage or shed where temperatures remain above freezing.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
20 Oct. 2025
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Walensee Weed Puller While many weeds die or go dormant during the winter, there are some (like red deadnettle) that pop up in winter.—
Brandi Fuller,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Arctic seals rely on sea ice for breeding and raising their pups, as well as for moulting, resting and accessing foraging areas.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
18 Oct. 2025
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More recently, older adults who practiced Japanese walking for five months showed improvements in resting blood pressure, lower-limb muscle strength and VO2 max, a key indicator of cardiovascular fitness and aerobic endurance, according to a 2025 study by a different group of scientists.—
Melanie Radzicki McManus,
CNN Money,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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According to Canada Post, the previous disruptions will force the carrier to take time to clear the mail and parcels that had been sitting idle within its network.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
13 Oct. 2025
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And after Bill Belichick and North Carolina dominated the news during their idle week, there’s plenty of intriguing on-field action to watch on Saturday.—
The Athletic College Football Staff,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Within a few moments, an antlerless deer emerged, loafing along toward Ronnie, completely unalarmed.—
Jim Moore,
Outdoor Life,
8 Oct. 2025
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She is seen going over the shots planned for the next day and remembering that some loafing around is planned.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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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
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Khanna is one of a number of progressive congressional Democrats encouraged by the party to appear in red-district town halls in an attempt to rebut impressions that the party is quiescent in the face of Trump’s onslaught.—
Andrew Cockburn,
Harpers Magazine,
16 July 2025
Verb
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And poor, engine‑damaging quality or not, the ersatz aviation fuel had to work only once to get a kamikaze plane up and away to hit one of the enemy warships now lazing about in the offing around the Home Islands, often close enough to be spotted from shore with the naked eye.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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An undisciplined, unproductive outing against the Jets in London at least momentarily provided reason to hit the pause button.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
17 Oct. 2025
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Very cold temperatures, heavy snow or ice, pests, and diseases can leave you with damaged or unproductive plants the next year.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Vegetating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vegetating. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
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