torpid

¹ American  

[tawr-pid] / ˈtɔr pɪd /

adjective

1. inactive or sluggish.

   Antonyms:

   energetic

2. slow; dull; apathetic; lethargic.

   Synonyms:

   indolent

3. dormant, as a hibernating or estivating animal.

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torpid ² American  

[tawr-pid] / ˈtɔr pɪd /

noun

1. an eight-oared, clinker-built boat used for races at Oxford University during the Lenten term.

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torpid British  

/ ˈtɔːpɪd /

adjective

1. apathetic, sluggish, or lethargic

2. (of a hibernating animal) dormant; having greatly reduced metabolic activity

3. unable to move or feel

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Related Words

See inactive.

Other Word Forms

• torpidity noun
• torpidly adverb
• torpidness noun

Etymology

Origin of torpid¹

First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin torpidus “numb,” equivalent to torp(ēre) “to be stiff or numb” + -idus -id ⁴

Origin of torpid²

First recorded in 1830–40; special use of torpid ¹

Explanation

While the adjective torpid sounds a lot like the noun torpedo, it actually describes something slow or even inactive, like the torpedo that's just sitting around before it's launched. Torpid comes from the Latin word torpere, meaning "numb," which is exactly how torpid things act. A hibernating bear and a caterpillar holed up in a cocoon are two good examples. You might feel torpid sitting in front of the fire after a big meal. The mind, too, can become torpid. The writer Samuel Johnson said, “It is a man’s own fault, it is from want of use, if his mind grow torpid in old age.”

Example Sentences

The staging, directed by Ash K. Tata, is almost entirely devoid of laudable performances, and the result is a long and torpid evening.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026

Finally, after three torpid days, this Test exploded into life.

From BBC • Jul. 13, 2025

But the pathogen’s ability to remain infectious during torpid and active states is an important addition to this story.

From Salon • Jul. 30, 2024

In situations like these, there are defining moments along the way that set off alarm bells, but these clarion calls were left mostly unmet by a torpid international community.

From Washington Times • Sep. 27, 2023

Mentally, spiritually, and physically, I was feeling pretty torpid along toward four-thirty in the afternoon, and I only half stood up when M. Yoshoto came over to my desk for an instant.

From "Nine Stories" by J. D. Salinger