Lethargy Meaning
/ˈlɛθ.ə(ɹ).d͡ʒi/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA state of extreme torpor, sopor or apathy, especially with lack of emotion, energy or enthusiasm; (loosely) sluggishness, laziness.
nounA condition characterized by extreme fatigue or drowsiness, deep unresponsiveness, or prolonged sleep patterns.
Sentence Examples
Lethargy is a common symptom of that disease.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The patient's extreme ____ worried the doctors because he would not move at all.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
A lack of iron in the diet can often lead to a feeling of ____ and a general lack of energy for everyday tasks.
Word Origin & History
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).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Europe lay then under a deep lethargy."
— 1687, Francis Atterbury, An Answer to Some Considerations on the Spirit of Martin Luther and the Original of the Reformation at Oxford, page 42:
"Gradually the darkened room seems to emerge from its shadows; familiar objects strike upon the senses—and memory is never so terribly distinct as on its first reviving from such momentary lethargy."
— 1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XXVII, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume II, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 285:
"As already indicated, timekeeping is very poor. Point-to-point times are not kept, even with a clear road, and whilst fast running has never been a feature of the route because of the large number of junctions and speed restrictions, this Sunday night lethargy is hard to explain."
— 1959 March, D. Bertram, “An old friend - the 9.7”, in Trains Illustrated, page 141:
"Yakovlev, one of the architects of the reforms put in place by Mikhail Gorbachev, says he too is "amazed" at the government's lethargy."
— 1995 March 20, Bruce W. Nelan, “Crime and Punishment”, in Time:
"The increase in mining stocks helped the FTSE 100 shake off some earlier lethargy and close 9.8 points higher at 6270.8, despite the disappointment of unchanged UK interest rates."
— 2008 May 9, Nick Fletcher, “Lethargic FTSE lifted by hopes of mining move”, in The Guardian:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The patient's extreme ____ worried the doctors because he would not move at all.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
A lack of iron in the diet can often lead to a feeling of ____ and a general lack of energy for everyday tasks.