sluggish
SLUG-ish
/ˈslʌɡɪʃ/
Slow-moving or inactive; lacking energy or alertness.
Carries a negative connotation of laziness, heaviness, or inefficiency.
The story behind the word. The word comes from 'slugge', an old term for a lazy person. It was eventually applied to the garden mollusk (the slug) because of its slow movement, and then became an adjective for anything that moves like a slug.
Word relationships
- lethargic: Lethargic is more medical or psychological; sluggish is more general and can apply to machines or systems.
- energetic: Energetic implies high activity, whereas sluggish is a lack of it.
Commonly confused with
- slow: Slow is neutral; sluggish implies a failure to move at the expected speed.
Word family
- sluggishly (adverb): In a sluggish manner.
- sluggishness (noun): The state of being sluggish.
Collocations
- sluggish economy
- sluggish performance
- sluggish metabolism
Example sentences
- "The stock market remained sluggish throughout the summer months." Describing a slow economy.
- "I felt sluggish all morning because I didn't get enough sleep." Physical feeling.
Memory hook
Just think of a garden slug—it's the ultimate 'sluggish' creature. Sluggish = Like a slug.
When not to use
Do not use it to describe a 'leisurely' pace, which is positive and relaxed.
Fun facts
- The word 'slug' originally meant a 'heavy blow' before it meant a lazy person.
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