slothful
Americanadjective
adjective
Related Words
See idle.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of slothful
Explanation
To be slothful is to be lazy. When you're slothful, you don't want to do any work. You just want to lie around, eat bonbons, and maybe doze off a little. If you've ever seen the sloth — a slow-moving mammal — you won't be surprised that anyone slothful has a bad work ethic. When you're slothful, you don't feel like doing much of anything. Slothful people tend to sleep too much and lie around on the couch. Being slothful at work could get you fired, and slothful students won't do well at school. The furry kind of sloth is slow due to its nature, but a slothful person should get a move on!
Vocabulary lists containing slothful
Languor Management: Synonyms for "Lazy"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Pace Yourself: Synonyms for "Slow"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Edward Albee (1928-2016) Tribute List
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Humans have long since lived a slothful existence in a spaceship where work is unnecessary and even walking is optional.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 18, 2025
It’s one thing to cheer the firing of federal employees if you consider them a bunch of slothful layabouts.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 2025
We were self-interested and self-absorbed, apathetic, slothful, narcissistic—or so we were frequently told.
From The New Yorker • Sep. 20, 2019
One look at this slothful tea pal will have you sold.
From Slate • Jul. 15, 2019
For the rest of the week, I was peevish and slothful.
From "Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village" by Laura Amy Schlitz
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.
