lethargic

English

Alternative forms

• lethargick (obsolete)

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek ληθαργικός (lēthargikós), from λήθαργος (lḗthargos, “forgetful, lethargic”), from λήθη (lḗthē, “a forgetting, forgetfulness”) (from which Lethe (“river in Hades”)) + ἀργός (argós, “not working”).

Pronunciation

• (General American, Canada) IPA^(key): /ləˈθɑɹd͡ʒɪk/
• (New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ləˈθɑːd͡ʒək/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ləˈθɑː.d͡ʒɪk/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)dʒɪk

Adjective

lethargic (comparative more lethargic, superlative most lethargic)

1. sluggish, slow

   Synonyms: torpid, lazy, unmoving

   • 1960, P. G. Wodehouse, Jeeves in the Offing, chapter VII:

     [That cat] hasn't caught a mouse since he was a slip of a kitten. Except when eating, he does nothing but sleep. Lethargic is the word that springs to the lips. If you cast an eye on him, you will see that he's asleep now.

2. indifferent, apathetic

   Synonyms: torpid, unmoving

Related terms

• alethic
• alethiology
• lethargy
• Lethe
• philalethia

 

Translations

sluggish, indifferent

• Bulgarian: сънлив (bg) (sǎnliv), отпуснат (bg) (otpusnat), апатичен (bg) (apatičen)
• Catalan: letàrgic
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 昏睡的

• Finnish: unelias (fi), veltto (fi), vetelä (fi)
• French: mollasson (fr), léthargique (fr)
• German: träge (de)
• Greek:

  Ancient: λήθαργος (lḗthargos)

• Italian: letargico (it)
• Maori: ārangirangi
• Portuguese: letárgico (pt) m
• Russian: вя́лый (ru) (vjályj), апати́чный (ru) (apatíčnyj)
• Sanskrit: अलस (sa) (alasa)
• Spanish: tardo (es), letárgico (es)
• Swedish: letargisk (sv)
• Telugu: మందకొడి (te) (mandakoḍi)
• Tocharian B: ālase