sluggish

English

Etymology

slug +‎ -ish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈslʌɡɪʃ/

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

Adjective

sluggish (comparative sluggisher or more sluggish, superlative sluggishest or most sluggish)

1. Habitually idle and lazy; slothful; dull; inactive

   a sluggish man

   • 1724, Pharmacopolæ Justificati: Or, Apothecaries Vindicated from the Imputation of Ignorance. Wherein is Shown, that an Academical Education is No Way Necessary to Qualify a Man for the Practice of Physick, London: Printed for J. Roberts, […], OCLC 990820804, page 6:

     [I]f he leaves the School poſſeſs'd of a ſluggiſh indolent Diſpoſition, and of Learning rather forc'd upon him than choſen, it is probable he will forget what he brought thence; but if he be active, emulous and aſpiring, he will certainly find Time for Reading and Thinking; for tho' it be a homely, it is a true Saying, that where there is a Will, there is a Way.

   And the sluggish land slumbers in utter neglect. (Can we date this quote by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and provide title, author's full name, and other details?)

   • 1911: Ameen Rihani, The Book of Khalid, p.37

     He helps us to understand the insignificant points which mark the rapid undercurrents of the seemingly sluggish soul of Khalid.

2. Slow; having little motion
   • 1913, Paul Laurence Dunbar, At Sunset Time

     We float upon a sluggish stream,

     We ride no rapids mad,

     While life is all a tempered dream

     And every joy half sad.

3. Having no power to move oneself or itself; inert.
   • (Can we date this quote by Woodward and provide title, author's full name, and other details?)

     Matter, being impotent, sluggish, and inactive, hath no power to stir or move itself.

4. Characteristic of a sluggard; dull; stupid; tame; simple.
5. Exhibiting economic decline, inactivity, slow or subnormal growth.

   Inflation has been rising despite sluggish economy.

Quotations

• John Milton

1. So sluggish a conceit.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:lazy
• See also Thesaurus:slow

Derived terms

• sluggishly
• sluggishness
• sluggish schizophrenia
• unsluggish

 

Translations

habitually idle and lazy; slothful; dull; inactive

• Chamicuro: achwayi
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 懶惰 (zh), 懒惰 (zh) (lǎnduò)

• Finnish: hidas (fi), laiska (fi), veltto (fi)
• Galician: lerdo m, náparo m, harón m, zamarrón m
• Greek:

  Ancient: νωθρός (nōthrós)

• Irish: ceanntrom

• Latin: languidus, ignavus
• Maori: ukauka
• Polish: opieszały (pl) m
• Portuguese: vadio (pt), vagabundo (pt)
• Russian: лени́вый (ru) (lenívyj), медли́тельный (ru) (medlítelʹnyj)
• Slovene: len (sl)
• Spanish: perezoso (es), haragán (es), huevón (es), desganado (es), aburrido (es), inútil (es)
• Turkish: uyuşuk (tr), miskin (tr)

slow; having little motion

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 緩慢 (zh), 缓慢 (zh) (huǎnmàn)

• Dutch: langzaam (nl)
• Finnish: hidas (fi), hiljainen (fi), heikko (fi)
• French: poussif (fr) m, poussive (fr) f, faiblard (fr) m (familiar), faiblarde (fr) f
• Maori: pūtumu, hōtoa, pūroto, pūrotoroto, ukauka

• Portuguese: lento (pt), moroso (pt)
• Russian: ме́дленный (ru) (médlennyj)
• Slovene: počasen (sl)
• Spanish: lento (es), calmado (es), calmo (es)
• Turkish: aheste (tr), ağır (tr)

having no power to move oneself or itself; inert

• Finnish: jähmeä (fi), verkkainen (fi)
• French: rétamé (fr) m (slang), naze (fr) m or f (slang)
• Kurdish:

  Sorani: بێ تاقه‌ت‎ (ku) (bae tAqat)

• Maori: tūrūruhi

• Portuguese: inerte (pt)
• Russian: неповоротливый (ru) (nepovorotlivyj), инертный (ru) (inertnyj)
• Slovene: šibek (sl)
• Spanish: desganado (es) (persons), apagado (es) (persons, things), inerte (es)
• Turkish: durgun (tr), tutuk (tr)

characteristic of a sluggard; dull; stupid; tame; simple

• Finnish: hidas (fi), hidasälyinen (fi), verkkainen (fi)
• Greek:

  Ancient Greek: νωθρός (nōthrós)

• Portuguese: devagar (pt)

• Russian: заторможенный (ru) (zatormožennyj)
• Spanish: lento (es), estúpido (es), tarado (es), pendejo (es) m
• Turkish: miskin (tr), tutuk (tr)