lethargy

noun

ˈle-thər-jē How to pronounce lethargy (audio)
Definition of lethargynext
as in boredom
physical or mental inertness the doctor suspected that the patient's depression and lethargy were a result of seasonal affective disorder

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How does the noun lethargy contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of lethargy are languor, lassitude, stupor, and torpor. While all these words mean "physical or mental inertness," lethargy implies such drowsiness or aversion to activity as is induced by disease, injury, or drugs.

months of lethargy followed my accident

When would languor be a good substitute for lethargy?

The words languor and lethargy are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, languor suggests inertia induced by an enervating climate or illness or love.

languor induced by a tropical vacation

When is lassitude a more appropriate choice than lethargy?

The words lassitude and lethargy can be used in similar contexts, but lassitude stresses listlessness or indifference resulting from fatigue or poor health.

a depression marked by lassitude

Where would stupor be a reasonable alternative to lethargy?

Although the words stupor and lethargy have much in common, stupor implies a deadening of the mind and senses by shock, narcotics, or intoxicants.

lapsed into an alcoholic stupor

When is it sensible to use torpor instead of lethargy?

The meanings of torpor and lethargy largely overlap; however, torpor implies a state of suspended animation as of hibernating animals but may suggest merely extreme sluggishness.

a once alert mind now in a torpor

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of lethargy Symptoms include coughing, rapid breathing, lethargy, and reluctance to exercise; open-mouth breathing in cats is an emergency. — Jen Reeder, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026 Helado Tropical is a fitting soundtrack for the part of the summer when the season settles into a sweaty and pensive lethargy. — E.r. Pulgar, Pitchfork, 20 July 2026 Anaplasmosis symptoms can be similar to those of Lyme disease, including fever, headache, fatigue, lethargy, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. — Amanda Roome, The Conversation, 16 July 2026 Common signs include fever, lethargy, swollen lymph nodes, joint pain or swelling, neurological changes, kidney disease, and abnormal bleeding. — Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 15 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for lethargy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lethargy
  1. boredom
  2. stupor
Noun
  • Take us to that moment, this middle-age malaise, this boredom.
    — Longreads, Longreads, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Her boredom was sharpened by the discovery that most of her initial assumptions were wrong.
    — Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of boredom
Noun
  • Fernández’s theory is that Mark must have told the women the code to his safe in his pliant stupor.
    — Mattha Busby, Rolling Stone, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The sense is of a political culture reluctantly shaking off a decades-long stupor.
    — Michael Powell, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
Definition of stupor

Browse Nearby Words

lethargically
lethargy
let on
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Cite this Entry

“Lethargy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lethargy. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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