Dictionary

lethargy en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈlɛθ.ə(ɹ).d͡ʒi/
• /ˈlɛθ ər dʒi/ (US)
• /lɪˈθɑːdʒɪk/ (UK)
• lĕth′ər-jē
• /ˈlɛθədʒɪ/ (UK)
• (Southern-England) audio

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).

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) A state of extreme torpor, sopor or apathy, especially with lack of emotion, energy or enthusiasm; (loosely) sluggishness, laziness.
   • 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:
   • 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:
   • 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:
2. (countable, uncountable) A condition characterized by extreme fatigue or drowsiness, deep unresponsiveness, or prolonged sleep patterns.
   • So in order to avoid unpleasant side effects like lethargy and sexual dysfunction, most recent trials also gave men testosterone supplements. 2003 October 20, Amanda Ripley, “At Last, the Pill for Men”, in Time:
   • This Apoplexie is (as I take it) a kind of Lethargie, a sleeping of the blood, a horson Tingling. c. 1599, William Shakespeare, King Henry IV, Part 2:

Forms

Deriveds

African lethargy · lethargied · negro lethargy · lethargize

Relateds

encephalitis lethargica · lethargic · Lethe

Translations (88)

ms kelesuan (pathological state of fatigue) · ro letargie (pathological state of fatigue) · ca letargia (pathological state of fatigue) · fr léthargie (pathological state of fatigue) · no letargi (pathological state of fatigue) · cmn 疲勞 /疲劳 (pathological state of fatigue) · ar خُمُول (pathological state of fatigue) · pt letargia (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · ru летарги́я (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · id letargi (pathological state of fatigue) · fi letargia (pathological state of fatigue) · es sopor (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · mk апа́тичност (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · de Nonchalance (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · tr letarji (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · tr uyuşuntu (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · la torpedo (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · mk исцр́пеност (pathological state of fatigue) · ca letargia (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · es aletargamiento (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · fa لتارژی (pathological state of fatigue) · hy անտարբերություն (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · nl futloosheid (pathological state of fatigue) · de Interesselosigkeit (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · tr uyuşukluk (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · ru вя́лость (pathological state of fatigue) · fr léthargie (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · el λήθαργος (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · fr langueur (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · la torpedo (pathological state of fatigue) · cmn 暮氣 /暮气 (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · es letargo (pathological state of fatigue) · hy լեթարգիա (pathological state of fatigue) · tr yorguntu (pathological state of fatigue) · ru апати́чность (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · grc λήθαργος (pathological state of fatigue) · de Trägheit (pathological state of fatigue) · ota طالغینلق (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · hy մահաքուն (pathological state of fatigue) · mi tīrohea (pathological state of fatigue) · es atonía (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · hy կեղծամահ (pathological state of fatigue) · de Schlafsucht (pathological state of fatigue) · sq amti (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · mi tūpakutanga (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · es aletargamiento (pathological state of fatigue) · la veternus (pathological state of fatigue) · nl onverschilligheid (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · ja 昏睡 (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · bg отпуснатост (pathological state of fatigue) · de Trägheit (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · hy լեթարգիա (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · nl slaapzucht (pathological state of fatigue) · fr nonchalance (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · de Lethargie (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · ja 疲労 (pathological state of fatigue) · da letargi (pathological state of fatigue) · fi uupumus (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · ru уста́лость (pathological state of fatigue) · fi letargia (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · hy թմրածություն (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · mk мр́твило (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · eo letargio (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · bg вялост (pathological state of fatigue) · ja 無関心 (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · ro letargie (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · tr uykuntu (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · mi tīrohea (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · mk лета́ргија (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · eo letargio (pathological state of fatigue) · fi saamattomuus (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · nl lusteloosheid (pathological state of fatigue) · tr letarji (pathological state of fatigue) · de Teilnahmslosigkeit (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · tr yorgunluk (pathological state of fatigue) · txb ālasäññe (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · sv letargi (pathological state of fatigue) · nl lethargie (pathological state of fatigue) · nl lethargie (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · pt letargia (pathological state of fatigue) · ms letargi (pathological state of fatigue) · ru утомле́ние (pathological state of fatigue) · de Lethargie (pathological state of fatigue) · el λήθαργος (pathological state of fatigue) · cs letargie (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · cs letargie (pathological state of fatigue) · bg летаргия (state of extreme torpor or apathy) · es letargo (state of extreme torpor or apathy)