sluggish
Americanadjective
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indisposed to action or exertion; lacking in energy; lazy; indolent.
a sluggish disposition.
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not acting or working with full vigor, as bodily organs.
a sluggish liver.
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slow to act or respond.
a sluggish car engine.
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moving slowly, or having little motion, as a stream.
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slow, as motion.
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slack, as trade, business, or sales.
adjective
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lacking energy; inactive; slow-moving
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functioning at below normal rate or level
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exhibiting poor response to stimulation
Related Words
See inactive.
Other Word Forms
- sluggishly adverb
- sluggishness noun
- unsluggish adjective
- unsluggishly adverb
- unsluggishness noun
Etymology
Origin of sluggish
First recorded in 1400–50, sluggish is from the late Middle English word slugissh. See slug 1, -ish 1
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.
The combination of sluggish international segment growth coupled with the highest valuation in the software-as-a-service space leads Benchmark to remain sidelined for now.
From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026
Investors are now scrutinizing the strength of a U.S. economy that has proved resilient despite a sluggish job market.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
“A sluggish U.S. consumer faces a global oil shock,” writes TD Cowen Chief U.S.
From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026
However, the weakness of the UK's jobs market and sluggish economic growth means a rate rise is by no means certain either.
From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026
Aron was caught in the roil of change too, but his impulses were more sluggish than Cal’s.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
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.
