Sluggish
'slʌɡɪʃ
Definitions
Lacking energy, slow-moving, or inactive.
'slʌɡɪʃ
Moving or operating slowly; inactive.
The traffic was sluggish due to the accident.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're feeling tired and slow, like you're moving through molasses. When you are sluggish, you don't have much energy, and everything takes more effort than usual. For instance, when you're sick, you might have sluggish movements and feel slow to react to things.
👶 For kids: When something is sluggish, it means it's moving or working slowly, like a sleepy snail!
More Examples
After a large meal, I often feel sluggish.
The computer's performance became sluggish after the update.
How It's Used
"The doctor noted the patient's sluggish metabolism."
"The sluggish winds barely moved the sailboats."
"The economy remained sluggish after the recession."
Idioms & expressions
sluggish economy
An economy experiencing slow growth and activity.
"The government implemented stimulus measures to boost the sluggish economy."
sluggish digestion
A slow process of breaking down food in the stomach and intestines.
"Felt a discomfort in the stomach due to sluggish digestion"
From Middle English *sluggishe*, related to 'slug' (a slow-moving gastropod mollusk), indicating a lack of speed or energy.
The word 'sluggish' has been used in English since the 14th century, initially to describe physical slowness and later extending to encompass inactivity in other areas.
Memory tip
Think of a slug moving very slowly. A sluggish person is like a slow slug.
Word Origin
"Related to slow movement; similar to the modern word 'slug'"