What does sluggard mean?
A sluggard is a person who is habitually lazy, reluctant to work, and slow to take useful action. The word is usually critical, implying that the person’s lack of effort is a persistent character trait rather than a temporary lack of motivation. It appears in ordinary speech, literature, and humor, often as a label for someone who avoids responsibilities or procrastinates. “Sluggard” is more pointed than “lazy person” and carries a stronger suggestion of established idleness or indifference. Its origin in “slug,” an old word associated with slowness and inactivity, makes the word especially vivid: a sluggard is someone who moves through life reluctantly and without energy. Although it can be used jokingly, it remains generally disparaging and should be applied with care.
nounA person who is habitually lazy and unwilling to exert effort, especially in work or daily responsibilities.
- A person who is habitually lazy and avoids work or effort.
"Despite his reputation as a sluggard, he produced his finest work when properly motivated."
"The early morning sunlight failed to rouse the sluggard from bed."
"Calling him a sluggard was unfair, because he worked diligently whenever someone depended on him."
The plural form is used when referring to more than one lazy or idle person.
"The play portrays two brothers who are complete sluggards until they face an unexpected responsibility."
A sluggard is more than someone who is occasionally slow: the word names a person whose reluctance to act has become a defining habit.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sluggard come from?
“Sluggard” comes from “slug,” an old English word associated with slowness and inactivity, together with the suffix “-ard,” which forms a noun denoting a person characterized by some quality. The resulting word has long been used for a lazy or idle person. It belongs to a wider family of forms including “sluggish,” which describes slowness or lack of activity, and “sluggardly,” which describes behavior marked by laziness.
Related word forms
How sluggard is actually used
Usually pejorative and potentially insulting; it can be literary or humorous when used to describe a character known for laziness.
Easily confused with sluggard
A slug is primarily a slow-moving mollusk or a small projectile, while a sluggard is a lazy person.