sloth

noun

ˈslȯth How to pronounce sloth (audio)
ˈsläth,
also
ˈslōth How to pronounce sloth (audio)
plural sloths ˈslȯths How to pronounce sloth (audio)
ˈslȯṯẖz,
ˈsläths,
ˈsläṯẖz,
 also  ˈslōths,
ˈslōṯẖz
1
a
: disinclination to action or labor : indolence
b
: spiritual apathy and inactivity
the deadly sin of sloth
2
: any of various slow-moving arboreal edentate mammals (genera Bradypus and Choloepus) that inhabit tropical forests of South and Central America, hang from the branches back downward, and feed on leaves, shoots, and fruits compare three-toed sloth, two-toed sloth

Illustration of sloth

Illustration of sloth
  • sloth 2

Examples of sloth in a Sentence

the sins of gluttony and sloth a youth inclined more toward sloth than athletics
Recent Examples on the Web The city may be moving at sloth speed, but Saweetie’s been working nonstop. Lakin Imani Starling, Allure, 29 Feb. 2024 And there is evidence in Florida from 12,000 years ago not only of sloths and giant tortoises being butchered for their meat but—according to butcher lore and blogs—of the existence of a formal trade and butchers’ shops. Olivia Potts, Longreads, 15 Feb. 2024 The murders in the film represent the seven deadly sins as defined by Christianity: gluttony, greed, sloth, lust, pride, envy, and wrath. Derek Scancarelli, EW.com, 18 Dec. 2023 The activities of humans, coupled with a changing climate, likely made giant sloths and other megafauna more vulnerable to extinction. Conor Feehly, Discover Magazine, 7 Feb. 2024 Education Campus Idleness Has Bred Extremism Frederick M. Hess The political consequences of campus sloth. Daniel Foster, National Review, 30 Nov. 2023 For cuddlers This snugly sloth comes to life for little ones with an accompanying board book that promotes early emotional learning. Taryn Mohrman, wsj.com, 8 Dec. 2023 Each cone represents one of the seven deadly sins: lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride. Fabiola Sánchez, The Christian Science Monitor, 23 Dec. 2023 Recent fossil evidence proves that ancient humans and sloths coexisted in South America. Donna Sarkar, Discover Magazine, 17 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sloth.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English slouthe, from slow slow

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of sloth was in the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near sloth

Cite this Entry

“Sloth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sloth. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sloth

noun
1
: the quality or state of being lazy
2
: any of several slow-moving mammals of the tropical forests of Central and South America that are related to the armadillos, live in trees, and feed on leaves, shoots, and fruits

More from Merriam-Webster on sloth

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!