slouch

1 of 2

noun

ˈslau̇ch 

1

a

: an awkward fellow : lout

b

: one that is unimpressive

especially : a lazy or incompetent person

—used in negative constructions

was no slouch at cooking

2

: a gait or posture characterized by an ungainly stooping of the head and shoulders or excessive relaxation of body muscles

slouch

2 of 2

verb

slouched; slouching; slouches

intransitive verb

1

: to walk, stand, or sit with a slouch : assume a slouch

2

: droop

3

: to go or move slowly or reluctantly

transitive verb

: to cause to droop

slouched his shoulders

sloucher noun

Synonyms

Noun

• couch potato
• deadbeat
• do-nothing
• drone
• idler
• layabout
• lazybones
• loafer
• lotus-eater
• slug
• slugabed
• sluggard

Verb

• crawl
• creak (along)
• creep
• drag
• inch
• limp
• nose
• ooze
• plod
• poke
• snail

Examples of slouch in a Sentence

Noun

She walks with a slouch.

is no slouch when it comes to cooking

Verb

Sit up straight. Please don't slouch.

She slouched into the room.

The boy was slouching over his school books.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

At the other end of the court, Boise State is no slouch defensively, limiting foes to just 65.9 points, but will have its hands full trying to limit the Aggies. —Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 10 Jan. 2025

And while the Eagles have the edge on the ground with Barkley, the Packers' running back Josh Jacobs is no slouch. —Isaac Avilucea, Axios, 10 Jan. 2025

Verb

Poor posture, such as slouching or hunching, can give the impression of low energy, lack of focus, or disengagement. —Carol Kinsey Goman, Ph.d., Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024

Buy now: Elite 5 Brush Set on Artis and Amazon Theragun Pro Plus Thanks to office chairs, long commutes, slouching phone usage, overly-enthusiastic gym time, and too-heavy backpacks, tote bags, and grocery hauls, everyone in this modern world probably needs a massage. —Melissa Locker, TIME, 26 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun

1515, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1754, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Phrases Containing slouch

• slouch hat

Kids Definition

slouch

1 of 2 noun

ˈslau̇ch 

1

: an awkward, lazy, or unqualified person

2

: a manner of walking, sitting, or standing characterized by an awkward stooping of head and shoulders

slouch

2 of 2 verb

: to walk, sit, or stand with a slouch

sloucher noun