lethargic

English

Alternative forms

• lethargick (obsolete)

Pronunciation

• (Canada) IPA: /ləˈθɑrdʒək/
• (New Zealand) IPA: /lɘˈθɑːdʒɘk/
• (UK) IPA: /ləˈθɑː(ɹ).dʒɪk/

• CA synth

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)dʒɪk

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ληθαργικός (lethargikos), from λήθαργος (lēthargos, “forgetful, lethargic”), from λήθη (lēthē, “a forgetting, forgetfulness”) (from which Lethe (“river in Hades”)) + ἀργός (argos, “not working”)

Adjective

lethargic (comparative more lethargic, superlative most lethargic)

1. sluggish, slow
   • 1960, P. G. Wodehouse, Jeeves in the Offing, chapter VII:

     [That cat] hasn't caught a mouse since he was a slip of a kitten. Except when eating, he does nothing but sleep. Lethargic is the word that springs to the lips. If you cast an eye on him, you will see that he's asleep now.

2. indifferent, apathetic

Synonyms

• torpid
• lazy
• unmoving

Related terms

• alethic, alethiology, philalethia
• lethargy
• Lethe

Translations

sluggish, indifferent

• Catalan: letàrgic (ca)
• Finnish: unelias (1,2), veltto (1,2), vetelä (1,2)
• French: mollasson, léthargique
• Italian: letargico
• Mandarin: 简体中文 (cmn), 昏睡的 (cmn)

• Portuguese: letárgico (pt) m
• Spanish: tardo (es) m, letárgico (es)
• Swedish: letargisk (sv)
• Telugu: మందకొడి (maNdakoDi)