slouch

If you've ever seen someone sink into a chair with rounded shoulders and their head bent forward, they're likely slouching. It describes a loose, often careless way of sitting or standing, rather than holding yourself straight. You might slouch after a long day when you're tired and stop paying attention to your posture. Children are often told to "sit up straight" when they start slouching at the table or at school. It can also describe walking in a heavy, drooping way. Think of a body slowly folding in on itself; that is the basic picture of a slouch.

To slouch means to sit, stand, or move with a drooping posture, usually with rounded shoulders and the head bent forward. It often suggests tiredness, low energy, discomfort, or simply not making the effort to stand or sit upright. For example: "He dropped onto the sofa and began to slouch after a long day at work," or, "The teenager was scolded for slouching during the formal ceremony."

The word works as both a verb and a noun. As a noun, it can mean the posture itself: "Her slouch made her look bored," referring to the way she held herself. It can also describe a way of moving, especially walking in a slow, heavy, bent way. A defeated player might slouch back to the locker room, with their body language showing disappointment.

Less commonly, slouch can also mean a person who seems lazy, awkward, or not very impressive. This sense appears most often in the phrase "no slouch." If you say someone is "no slouch" at a task, you mean they are actually quite capable. For instance, "She's no slouch in the kitchen" means she is a very good cook.

Whether it is a bent posture, a tired walk, or a comment on someone's ability, slouch usually points to a falling away from a straight, alert, energetic state. It often carries the sense of giving in, a little, to tiredness, carelessness, or low spirits.