Lethargic
adjective /ləˈθɑː.dʒɪk/ — Lacking energy or enthusiasm; sluggish.
Definition
Affected by lethargy; sluggish, lacking in energy or enthusiasm; moving or reacting with abnormal slowness and dullness.
Beyond the definition
Lethargic is heaviness wearing a person. The lethargic feeling is more than tired — it's weighted. Every movement requires negotiation. The word carries the physicality of exhaustion without the dignity of dramatic collapse: just a slow, dull heaviness that resists effort.
Origin & history
From Greek lethargos ('forgetful, drowsy'), from lethe ('oblivion') + argos ('idle'). Lethe was the river of forgetfulness in the underworld — lethargy carries the trace of that mythological erasure.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
After the long flight and the time difference, she spent the morning lethargic and barely functional.
The whole country seemed lethargic during the heat wave — streets quiet, windows shut.
How to use it
This entry uses an adjective. Follow the examples for the nouns it describes and its position in the sentence.
Choose “Lethargic” when the meaning fits your context: Affected by lethargy; sluggish, lacking in energy or enthusiasm; moving or reacting with abnormal slowness and dullness.
Synonyms
sluggish, listless, languid, torpid, drowsy
Antonyms
energetic, lively, vigorous, alert
Related words
- languid
- torpid
- listless
- sluggish
Lethargic vs sluggish
Sluggish means slow and lacking energy — not moving or responding as quickly as expected. Lethargic implies a heavier, more comprehensive depletion: the lethargic state is not just slow but weighted, difficult to rouse from. You can be sluggish in the morning; lethargic suggests the whole system has been pulled down. Sluggish describes a pace; lethargic describes a state. The lethargic person may struggle to move at all; the sluggish one just moves slowly.
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Deep, heavy fatigue and slowness
An adult sits on a park bench with their head in their hands, appearing completely disconnected and heavy with exhaustion.
Their physical posture reflects a lethargic state, where the energy for action is entirely absent. The weight of the world seems to have slowed them down, causing a dullness that prevents any quick reaction or engagement.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Lethargic" mean?
Lethargic is adjective meaning: Lacking energy or enthusiasm; sluggish.. Affected by lethargy; sluggish, lacking in energy or enthusiasm; moving or reacting with abnormal slowness and dullness.
Where does the word "Lethargic" come from?
From Greek lethargos ('forgetful, drowsy'), from lethe ('oblivion') + argos ('idle'). Lethe was the river of forgetfulness in the underworld — lethargy carries the trace of that mythological erasure.