slouch

American  

[slouch] / slaʊtʃ /

verb (used without object)

• slouches,
  present (3rd person singular)
• slouched,
  past participle,  past
• slouching
  present participle

1. to sit or stand with an awkward, drooping posture.

2. to move or walk with loosely drooping body and careless gait.

3. to have a droop or downward bend, as a hat.

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verb (used with object)

• slouches,
  present (3rd person singular)
• slouched,
  past participle,  past
• slouching
  present participle

1. to cause to droop or bend down, as the shoulders or a hat.

noun

• slouches
  plural

1. a drooping or bending forward of the head and shoulders; an awkward, drooping posture or carriage.

2. an awkward, clumsy, or slovenly person.

3. slouch hat.

4. a lazy, inept, or inefficient person.

   Synonyms:

   sluggard, loafer, laggard

slouch British  

/ slaʊtʃ /

verb

1. (intr) to sit or stand with a drooping bearing

2. (intr) to walk or move with an awkward slovenly gait

3. (tr) to cause (the shoulders) to droop

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noun

1. a drooping carriage

2. informal (usually used in negative constructions) an incompetent or slovenly person

   he's no slouch at football

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• sloucher
  noun
• slouching
  adjective
• unslouched
  adjective
• unslouching
  adjective
• slouchingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• slouches
  plural

Participles

• slouching
  present
• slouched
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• slouch
  simple
• slouches
  simple
• have slouched
  perfect
• has slouched
  perfect
• am slouching
  progressive
• are slouching
  progressive
• is slouching
  progressive
• have been slouching
  perfect progressive
• has been slouching
  perfect progressive

Past

• slouched
  simple
• had slouched
  perfect
• was slouching
  progressive
• were slouching
  progressive
• had been slouching
  perfect progressive

Future

• will slouch
  simple
• will have slouched
  perfect
• will be slouching
  progressive
• will have been slouching
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of slouch

First recorded in 1505–15; origin uncertain

Explanation

To slouch is to sit or stand with your shoulders hunched. Most people are more likely to slouch when they're tired or bored. You might tend to slouch in math class but sit up straight and tall when your favorite art teacher invites you to enter a piece in an art show. Your math class posture can itself be described as a slouch as well. Yet another meaning of slouch is a person who's lazy or useless — this is actually the word's original definition, from the 1500's. It's thought to be rooted in the Old Norse word slokr, "lazy fellow."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

slouch slouches slouched slouching

Vincent Walsh steals every scene he’s in as Sweeney’s henchman Eddie Breen, a lethal type with a brogue, slouch cap and his mouth half open most of the time.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

If students slouch, lean against the walls or look around, they were given a warning, Ben said.

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026

Visa’s stock, for its part, has been no slouch, rising 2,244% since the time of its IPO in March 2008, compared with a 473% rise for the S&P 500 over the same time.

From MarketWatch ● May 25, 2026

Even before the new changes, Japan has been no slouch.

From Barron's ● May 3, 2026

I felt my feet planted firmly on the floor, and I cracked my own smile as I stood and stepped toward Headmaster Patterson, and I didn't slouch or hang my head, or even look away.

From "Tradition" by Brendan Kiely

The man slouches in his chair with his legs crossed, while the woman holds up her phone.

From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026

“They were no slouches, and this wasn’t their first rodeo,” Jonathan Youssef said of the burglars.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2025

The five Nrityagram women who perform are certainly no slouches, as the opening number makes clear.

From New York Times ● May 10, 2023

Adding water to nut butters can be mystifying because the mixture will initially stiffen before it slouches.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 15, 2023

Robert slouches against the fender of his Packard automobile, his shapeless dark jacket covered with dust, his hair an unkempt mop, his eyes glaring mistrustfully at the lens from under hooded brows.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

In a laboratory study, participants who sat upright reported more positive feelings and performed better during a task involving risk and reward than participants who slouched or sat in the control condition.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 5, 2026

We first see her slouched on a sofa on the back porch of the family’s house, seemingly cocooned in unhappiness.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026

Unlike me, with my sad little balcony lined with wilted pots of herbs, he had proper outdoor space — and a neighbor whose blackberry bush slouched lazily over the fence, heavy with fruit.

From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2025

He said he found Mr Combs there in a towel, slouched on a chair with a "devilish" look on his face, and a broken vase on the floor.

From BBC ● May 12, 2025

Lane sat rather slouched in his chair, smoking, his eyes narrowed attentively at Franny’s face.

From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger

All of that will ensure there is no slouching during Powell’s final stint as Fed chair—and not for investors, either.

From Barron's ● May 4, 2026

Of course those activities are "a good thing" she says, but they won't make up for sitting all day at work staring at a screen or spending the evening slouching on the couch.

From BBC ● Feb. 1, 2026

Fact: Many people spend hours slouching while staring at a computer or focusing on cellphones that draw the eyes down and curve the neck.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 15, 2025

This version has toasted bread — crisp on the edges, soft in the middle — salted tomatoes slouching into their juices and a tangy, mayo-based dressing that nods to sandwich logic.

From Salon ● Jun. 23, 2025

A barefoot clump of rags was slouching off down the alley.

From "Milkweed" by Jerry Spinelli

Related Words

• crouch
• droop
• loll