sluggish

[sluhg-ish]

adjective

1. indisposed to action or exertion; lacking in energy; lazy; indolent.

   a sluggish disposition.

   Synonyms: slothful, slow
   Antonyms: active, quick

2. not acting or working with full vigor, as bodily organs.

   a sluggish liver.

3. slow to act or respond.

   a sluggish car engine.

4. moving slowly, or having little motion, as a stream.

5. slow, as motion.

6. slack, as trade, business, or sales.

sluggish

/ ˈslʌɡɪʃ /

adjective

1. lacking energy; inactive; slow-moving

2. functioning at below normal rate or level

3. exhibiting poor response to stimulation

Other Word Forms

• sluggishly adverb
• sluggishness noun
• unsluggish adjective
• unsluggishly adverb
• unsluggishness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of sluggish¹

First recorded in 1400–50, sluggish is from the late Middle English word slugissh. See slug ¹, -ish ¹

Synonym Study

See inactive.

Example Sentences

And after two major overseas wars, the 2008-09 financial crisis, subsequent sluggish growth, and a pandemic, the U.S. budget swung from surplus at the turn of the century to deficits previously seen only in wartime.

Read more on Barron's

New Zealand, who last year won the T20 World Cup, had found the going tough on India’s sluggish tracks, slipping to defeats in their first two games against defending champions Australia and South Africa.

Read more on Barron's

Three Hills didn’t invest much in Italy until recently, for fear of spooking investors put off by the country’s sluggish economy and unstable politics.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

GM stopped production of the previous Bolt, its first mainstream EV, in 2023 after troubles with battery fires, sluggish sales and recalls.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

It’s almost as if prime-time network television has attained maximum mediocrity and is willing to maintain a sluggish cruising level.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• heavy 
• inactive 
• lethargic 
• listless 
• slack 
• slow 
• stagnant