acedia

[uh-see-dee-uh]

noun

1. sloth.

2. laziness or indifference in religious matters.

acedia

/ əˈsiːdɪə /

noun

1. another word for accidie

Word History and Origins

Origin of acedia¹

1600–10; < Late Latin acēdia < Greek akḗdeia, equivalent to akēdḗ ( s ) ( a- a- ⁶ + -kēdēs, adj. derivative of kêdos care, anxiety) + -ia -ia

Example Sentences

Perhaps the best term for Fran’s persistent mood is acedia, that feeling of not caring much about anything, especially one’s position in the world.

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In the early medieval era, Christian monks were very concerned about acedia.

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The literal meaning of acedia, derived from Greek, is something like "not caring," which explains why "boring" is subjective.

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For instance, Aldous Huxley argued that acedia had only intensified with the onset of modern life.

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At the time, he named the sin of sloth “acedia,” meaning “lack of care” in Greek.

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Related Words

• inactivity www.thesaurus.com
• inertia 
• passivity 
• stagnation