Standard Lemma guide

slothful

adj · 2 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

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1

adj

Meaning 1

Lazy; idle; tending to sloth.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: inactive, sluggish, indolent

Antonyms: active, unslothful

2

adjective satellite

Meaning 2

disinclined to work or exertion

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • faineant kings under whose rule the country languished
  • an indolent hanger-on
  • too lazy to wash the dishes
  • shiftless idle youth
  • slothful employees
  • the unemployed are not necessarily work-shy

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: faineant, indolent, lazy, otiose, work-shy

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From sloth + -ful.

Across languages

Translations

39 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: муден (muden) — lazy, sluggish
  • Bulgarian: ленив (leniv) — lazy, sluggish
  • Cherokee: ᎦᎾᎵ (ganali) — lazy, sluggish
  • Mandarin: 懒惰 (lǎnduò) — lazy, sluggish
  • Mandarin: 懒 — lazy, sluggish
  • Dutch: lui — lazy, sluggish
  • Finnish: laiska — lazy, sluggish
  • Finnish: veltto — lazy, sluggish
  • French: paresseux — lazy, sluggish
  • Galician: preguiceiro — lazy, sluggish
  • Galician: nugallán — lazy, sluggish
  • Galician: langrán — lazy, sluggish
  • Galician: bostrouco — lazy, sluggish
  • Galician: broeiro — lazy, sluggish
  • Galician: vergallán — lazy, sluggish
  • Galician: tramazán — lazy, sluggish
  • Galician: manguán — lazy, sluggish
  • Galician: mandrión — lazy, sluggish
  • Galician: galbán — lazy, sluggish
  • German: faul — lazy, sluggish
  • Gothic: 𐌻𐌰𐍄𐍃 (lats) — lazy, sluggish
  • Irish: leisciúil — lazy, sluggish
  • Italian: pigro — lazy, sluggish
  • Italian: indolente — lazy, sluggish
  • Latin: pĭger — lazy, sluggish
  • Latin: ignavus — lazy, sluggish
  • Māori: makuku — lazy, sluggish
  • Occitan: peresós — lazy, sluggish
  • Occitan: pigre — lazy, sluggish
  • Plautdietsch: ful — lazy, sluggish
  • Plautdietsch: mooj — lazy, sluggish
  • Swahili: -vivu — lazy, sluggish
  • Turkish: tembel — lazy, sluggish
  • Turkish: miskin — lazy, sluggish
  • Turkish: uyuşuk — lazy, sluggish
  • Turkish: uyuz — lazy, sluggish
  • Ottoman Turkish: تنبل (tembel) — lazy, sluggish
  • Ottoman Turkish: هایلاز (haylaz) — lazy, sluggish
  • Unami: nulhàntëwamàlsi — lazy, sluggish