sloth — English Dictionary

Noun

1. Laziness; slowness of mind; disinclination to action or labour; a feeling combining indifference and lethargy; a dragging idleness.

   Usage

   • Uncountable

   Synonyms

   acediaslothfulness

   Antonyms

   diligenceliveliness

   Examples

   Hot summer days inspire a sense of sloth in me.

   More examples (1)

   Who having ſpilt much blood, and don much waſte / Subduing Nations, and achievd thereby / Fame in the World, high titles, and rich prey, / Shall change thir courſe to pleaſure, eaſe, and ſloth, / Surfet, and luſt, till wantonneſs and pride / Raiſe out of friendſhip hoſtil deeds in Peace.

   Sloth, like rust, consumes faster than labour wears.

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   Mr. Elliot's frank statement that "sloth and untidiness are indefensible" is a sign that the task will be tackled with vigour.

2. Any animal in the suborder Folivora. Any member of species of the families Choloepodidae and Bradypodidae of herbivorous, arboreal South American mammals, noted for its slowness and inactivity.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • especially
   • Uncountable

3. Any animal in the suborder Folivora. Any of the extinct group of ground sloths.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

4. A group of bears.

   Usage

   • collective
   • Countable
   • Rare

   Synonyms

   sleuth

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   "Thirteen!" interrupted Gavan in surprise. "Isn't that a large number for a sloth of bears?" "It certainly is," the hunter answered, "six is as many as I ever saw together. Maybe the tracks looked like a lot more. That happens.

   One day there was a sloth of grizzly bears trying to catch salmon fish from the river

   Man (head broken off) on horseback, leading three (technically a sloth) muzzled bears by square-linked chain.

Verb

1. To be idle; to idle (away time).

   Usage

   • Intransitive
   • Obsolete
   • Transitive

   Examples

   He has been slothing this whole weekend.

   […] the most of professors are for imbezzeling, mispending and slothing away their time, their talents, their opportunities to do good in […]

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   That you endeavour carefully to please your Lady, Master or Mistress, be faithful, diligent and submissive to them, encline not to sloth or laze in bed, but rise early in a morning.

Noun

1. a disinclination to work or exert yourself

   Synonyms

   slothfulness

   Broader terms

   reluctancehesitancyhesitationdisinclinationindisposition

2. any of several slow-moving arboreal mammals of South America and Central America; they hang from branches back downward and feed on leaves and fruits

   Synonyms

   tree sloth

   Broader terms

   edentate

3. apathy and inactivity in the practice of virtue (personified as one of the deadly sins)

   Synonyms

   lazinessacedia

   Broader terms

   mortal sindeadly sin