lethargic

C1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ləˈθɑɹd͡ʒɪk/ UK /ləˈθɑː.d͡ʒɪk/ See IPA manual

Freq #39360

Meanings

1

adj
Lacking energy and feeling slow or sleepy.

The heat made the whole class feel lethargic and unfocused.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · lacking energy and feeling... dull sluggish

Word family

Derived forms antilethargiclethargicallylethargicness

Related forms alethicalethiologylethargy lethephilalethia

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek ληθαργικός (lēthargikós), from λήθαργος (lḗthargos, “forgetful, lethargic”), from λήθη (lḗthē, “a forgetting, forgetfulness”) (from which Lethe (“river in Hades”)) + ἀργός (argós, “not working”). By surface analysis, lethargy + -ic.

ληθαργικός Ancient Greek

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# lethargic

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ləˈθɑɹd͡ʒɪk/
**IPA (UK):** /ləˈθɑː.d͡ʒɪk/
**Frequency rank:** 39360

## Meanings
1. Lacking energy and feeling slow or sleepy.

## Examples
- The heat made the whole class feel lethargic and unfocused.

## Derived Forms
- antilethargic
- lethargically
- lethargicness

## Related Forms
- alethic
- alethiology
- lethargy
- lethe
- philalethia

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: ληθαργικός

## Etymology
Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek ληθαργικός (lēthargikós), from λήθαργος (lḗthargos, “forgetful, lethargic”), from λήθη (lḗthē, “a forgetting, forgetfulness”) (from which Lethe (“river in Hades”)) + ἀργός (argós, “not working”). By surface analysis, lethargy + -ic.

## AI Etymology
Lethargic is a learned borrowing from Ancient Greek ληθαργικός (lēthargikós), from λήθαργος (lḗthargos, “forgetful, lethargic”), from λήθη (lḗthē, “a forgetting, forgetfulness”) (from which Lethe (“river in Hades”)) + ἀργός (argós, “not working”). By surface analysis, lethargy + -ic. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern adjectival form is built from the named base and affix. In present-day use, it means lacking energy and feeling slow or sleepy. Related forms include alethic, alethiology, lethargy, lethe, philalethia. Derived formations include antilethargic, lethargically, lethargicness.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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