Standard Lemma guide

lethargy

noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈlɛθ.ə(ɹ).d͡ʒi/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: L EH1 TH ER0 JH IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A state of extreme torpor, sopor or apathy, especially with lack of emotion, energy or enthusiasm; (loosely) sluggishness, laziness.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A condition characterized by extreme fatigue or drowsiness, deep unresponsiveness, or prolonged sleep patterns.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: medicine, pathology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

inactivity; showing an unusual lack of energy

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the general appearance of sluggishness alarmed his friends

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: languor, sluggishness, phlegm, flatness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: inactiveness, inactivity, inertia

4

noun

Meaning 4

weakness characterized by a lack of vitality or energy

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: inanition, lassitude, slackness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: weakness

5

noun

Meaning 5

a state of comatose torpor (as found in sleeping sickness)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: lassitude, sluggishness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: torpor, torpidity

Narrower terms: hebetude

History

Etymology

From Middle English litargie, from Medieval Latin litargia, from Late Latin lēthārgia, borrowed from Ancient Greek ληθᾱργῐ́ᾱ (lēthārgĭ́ā, “drowsiness”), from λήθᾱργος (lḗthārgos, “forgetful, lethargic”) + -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā, adjectival suffix).

Across languages

Translations

88 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: amti — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • Armenian: թմրածություն (tʻmracutʻyun) — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • Armenian: անտարբերություն (antarberutʻyun) — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • Armenian: լեթարգիա (letʻargia) — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • Bulgarian: летаргия (letargija) — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • Catalan: letargia — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • Chinese Mandarin: 暮氣 /暮气 (mùqì) — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • Czech: letargie — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • Dutch: onverschilligheid — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • Dutch: lethargie — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • Esperanto: letargio — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • Finnish: letargia — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • Finnish: uupumus — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • Finnish: saamattomuus — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • French: léthargie — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • French: nonchalance — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • French: langueur — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • German: Trägheit — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • German: Lethargie — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • German: Teilnahmslosigkeit — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • German: Interesselosigkeit — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • German: Nonchalance — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • Greek: λήθαργος (líthargos) — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • Japanese: 無関心 (mukanshin) — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • Japanese: 昏睡 (konsui) — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • Latin: torpedo — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • Macedonian: мр́твило (mŕtvilo) — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • Macedonian: апа́тичност (apátičnost) — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • Macedonian: лета́ргија (letárgija) — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • Māori: tīrohea — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • Māori: tūpakutanga — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • Portuguese: letargia — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • Romanian: letargie — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • Russian: апати́чность (apatíčnostʹ) — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • Russian: летарги́я (letargíja) — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • Spanish: atonía — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • Spanish: letargo — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • Spanish: aletargamiento — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • Spanish: sopor — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • Tocharian B: ālasäññe — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • Turkish: letarji — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • Turkish: uyuşukluk — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • Turkish: uyuşuntu — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • Turkish: uykuntu — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • Ottoman Turkish: طالغینلق (dalgınlık) — state of extreme torpor or apathy
  • Arabic: خُمُول (ḵumūl) — pathological state of fatigue
  • Armenian: կեղծամահ (keġcamah) — pathological state of fatigue
  • Armenian: լեթարգիա (letʻargia) — pathological state of fatigue
  • Armenian: մահաքուն (mahakʻun) — pathological state of fatigue
  • Bulgarian: вялост (vjalost) — pathological state of fatigue
  • Bulgarian: отпуснатост (otpusnatost) — pathological state of fatigue
  • Catalan: letargia — pathological state of fatigue
  • Chinese Mandarin: 疲勞 /疲劳 (píláo) — pathological state of fatigue
  • Czech: letargie — pathological state of fatigue
  • Danish: letargi — pathological state of fatigue
  • Dutch: lusteloosheid — pathological state of fatigue
  • Dutch: futloosheid — pathological state of fatigue
  • Dutch: slaapzucht — pathological state of fatigue
  • Dutch: lethargie — pathological state of fatigue
  • Esperanto: letargio — pathological state of fatigue
  • Finnish: letargia — pathological state of fatigue
  • French: léthargie — pathological state of fatigue
  • German: Lethargie — pathological state of fatigue
  • German: Trägheit — pathological state of fatigue
  • German: Schlafsucht — pathological state of fatigue
  • Greek: λήθαργος (líthargos) — pathological state of fatigue
  • Ancient Greek: λήθαργος (lḗthargos) — pathological state of fatigue
  • Indonesian: letargi — pathological state of fatigue
  • Japanese: 疲労 (hirō) — pathological state of fatigue
  • Latin: torpedo — pathological state of fatigue
  • Latin: veternus — pathological state of fatigue
  • Macedonian: исцр́пеност (iscŕpenost) — pathological state of fatigue
  • Malay: kelesuan — pathological state of fatigue
  • Malay: letargi — pathological state of fatigue
  • Māori: tīrohea — pathological state of fatigue
  • Norwegian: letargi — pathological state of fatigue
  • Persian: لتارژی (letārži) — pathological state of fatigue
  • Portuguese: letargia — pathological state of fatigue
  • Romanian: letargie — pathological state of fatigue
  • Russian: вя́лость (vjálostʹ) — pathological state of fatigue
  • Russian: уста́лость (ustálostʹ) — pathological state of fatigue
  • Russian: утомле́ние (utomlénije) — pathological state of fatigue
  • Spanish: letargo — pathological state of fatigue
  • Spanish: aletargamiento — pathological state of fatigue
  • Swedish: letargi — pathological state of fatigue
  • Turkish: letarji — pathological state of fatigue
  • Turkish: yorgunluk — pathological state of fatigue
  • Turkish: yorguntu — pathological state of fatigue