WordGarden.iosluggish
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /slˈʌɡɪʃ/
US
- /ˈsləɡɪʃ/
Meanings
Adjective
low in energy or slow to get moving
moving or responding slowly and with little force or activity
showing weak business or economic activity
More meaningsFewer meanings
slow to load, process, or respond in a computer or digital system
Beyond the definition
Imagine a snail trying to win a race, and you get the idea. It describes someone or something moving or reacting slowly, with little energy. A sluggish economy means business activity is not growing much. If you feel sluggish after a big meal, you feel tired and slow. It can even describe your thinking: "My brain felt sluggish this morning."
Think of thick mud: it is hard to move through, just like something sluggish is hard to get going. You might say a computer is sluggish if it takes forever to load programs, or that someone is sluggish after waking up from a nap. It is not always a permanent state, but it does mean things are not working at full speed.
"Sluggish" describes a state of being slow, inactive, and lacking energy or vitality. It can apply to physical movement, mental processes, or even the performance of systems like economies or machines. For example: "After days of rain, the river flowed sluggishly," meaning it moved slowly and without much force.
You might describe someone as sluggish if they're tired, unwell, or simply lacking motivation. "He felt sluggish all day after a restless night's sleep." The term suggests a noticeable decrease in responsiveness or activity level compared to a normal state.
The word often implies that something should be moving faster or more efficiently. A "sluggish economy" is not necessarily collapsing, but it is growing more slowly than expected. Similarly, a "sluggish response" means someone took too long to react. It can even describe internal bodily functions, such as "sluggish digestion."
Whether you are describing a tired person, a slow river, or an underperforming computer, "sluggish" suggests reduced energy, slower movement, or a weaker response than usual.
Examples
- 1
Physical feeling
I always feel sluggish in the afternoon if I skip lunch.
- 2
Car performance
The car was sluggish on cold mornings until we replaced the battery.
- 3
Sales
After the holidays, sales were sluggish for a few weeks.
- 4
Computer performance
My laptop gets sluggish when I have too many tabs open.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Sports start
The team made a sluggish start but played much better after halftime.
See also
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- sluggishadjective