lethargic
adjective
le·thar·gic
lə-ˈthär-jik 
le-
1
2
: indifferent, apathetic
The legislature was lethargic in considering the bill.
Did you know?
In Greek mythology, Lethe was the name of a river in the underworld that was also called "the River of Unmindfulness" or "the River of Forgetfulness." Legend held that when someone died, they were given a drink of water from the river Lethe to forget all about their past life. Eventually this act of forgetting came to be associated with feelings of sluggishness, inactivity, or indifference. The name of the river and the word lethargic, as well as the related noun lethargy, all come from lēthē, Greek for "forgetfulness."
Examples of lethargic in a Sentence
You'll need to move your lure as slowly as possible to tempt the lethargic fish into feeding …
—
Lenny Rudow, Boating, December 1997
… became a drifter and for a time an alcoholic and finally lapsed into lethargic self-abasement.
—Stanley Karnow, New York Times Book Review, 14 Oct. 1984
The audience was cold and lethargic. It is true there were about fifty-seven applauses, but they were not roars of enthusiasm by any means.
—Lady Bird Johnson 12 Jan. 1966,
in A White House Diary, 1970
The patient is weak and lethargic.
a big meal always makes me feel lethargic and sleepy
Lenny Rudow, Boating, December 1997
… became a drifter and for a time an alcoholic and finally lapsed into lethargic self-abasement.
—Stanley Karnow, New York Times Book Review, 14 Oct. 1984
The audience was cold and lethargic. It is true there were about fifty-seven applauses, but they were not roars of enthusiasm by any means.
—Lady Bird Johnson 12 Jan. 1966,
in A White House Diary, 1970
The patient is weak and lethargic.
a big meal always makes me feel lethargic and sleepy
Recent Examples on the Web
After the second lethargic performance in the Americans’ loss to Canada in the third-place match, the response of former U.S. internationals on set like Clint Dempsey and Maurice Edu were as newsworthy as the results themselves.
—Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
After a lethargic start that saw TCU trail 14-5, the Horned Frogs battled back and tied the game at 35-35 at halftime behind two 3-pointers and 13 first-half points by Noah Reynolds.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Mar. 2025
And those with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) may feel lethargic or sluggish.
—Julia Ries, Outside Online, 27 Feb. 2025
Some signs a dog is grieving a furry friend include lack of appetite, lethargic behavior, searching for a companion dog, becoming clingy to the owner or withdrawing from people and other pets.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lethargic
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Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
After a lethargic start that saw TCU trail 14-5, the Horned Frogs battled back and tied the game at 35-35 at halftime behind two 3-pointers and 13 first-half points by Noah Reynolds.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Mar. 2025
And those with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) may feel lethargic or sluggish.
—Julia Ries, Outside Online, 27 Feb. 2025
Some signs a dog is grieving a furry friend include lack of appetite, lethargic behavior, searching for a companion dog, becoming clingy to the owner or withdrawing from people and other pets.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lethargic
Cite this Entry
“Lethargic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lethargic. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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