Other Word Forms
- hyperlethargic adjective
- lethargically adverb
- nonlethargic adjective
- nonlethargical adjective
- nonlethargically adverb
- unlethargic adjective
- unlethargical adjective
- unlethargically adverb
Etymology
Origin of lethargic
First recorded in 1350–1400; from Latin lēthargicus, from Greek lēthargikós; replacing Middle English litargik, from Medieval Latin litargicus ( see lethargy, -ic)
Compare meaning
How does lethargic compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
When you feel lethargic, you're sluggish or lacking energy. Being sleepy or hungry can make anyone lethargic. Being lethargic makes it hard to get anything done: you feel weak and sleepy. Whatever the reason, a lethargic person needs to snap out of it and get some energy, maybe by eating something or by taking a nap. Being lethargic also goes well with watching TV, since that takes almost no energy at all. When you feel lethargic, you don't have any energy to spare.
Vocabulary lists containing lethargic
ASVAB Word Knowledge
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 3
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But one evening she told her parents that she was feeling lethargic.
From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026
That show is growing duller, and more lethargic and repetitive, by the day, like watching reruns of a canceled sitcom.
From Salon • Feb. 13, 2026
"It was just a really lethargic performance in the first half, but the second half was everything I wanted to see."
From Barron's • Jan. 31, 2026
But never have I seen a team with so much potential and skill be so absolutely lethargic and unwatchable this season.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 27, 2025
It was certainly odd that whenever she got into that lethargic state, with the stertorous breathing, she put the flowers from her; but that when she waked she clutched them close.
From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
