indolent
Americanadjective
-
disliking work or effort; lazy; idle
-
pathol causing little pain
an indolent tumour
-
(esp of a painless ulcer) slow to heal
Synonym Usage
See idle.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of indolent
First recorded in 1655–65; from Latin indolent- (stem of indolēns ), equivalent to in- in- 3 + dolent- (stem of dolēns ), present participle of dolēre “to be painful, be in pain”; see dole 2, -ent
Explanation
Indolent is an adjective meaning slow or lazy. It can take an indolent teenager hours to get out of bed on a weekend morning. Often it's noon before he finally comes shuffling down to breakfast in his pajamas. An indolent person is slow and lazy — not the type of person you'd want running your corporation or competing with you in a relay race. Doctors use the word indolent to describe medical conditions that are slow to progress. If you're diagnosed with an illness, you'd prefer an indolent one over one that spreads quickly.
Vocabulary lists containing indolent
Advanced English Words
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The Lazy, Hazy Days of Summer
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Grade 11, List 6
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But these roles are few and far between, remaining at a distance in favor of indolent stories that only echo the humor of Sandler’s earliest work.
From Salon • Jul. 27, 2025
She added: "We will always be grateful that Moth's version of CBS is indolent, its slow progression has allowed us time to discover how walking helps him."
From BBC • Jul. 9, 2025
The truce idea was not born of naivete, but of desperation, in a country with over 110,000 disappeared and woefully indolent or over-worked police and forensics examiners.
From Seattle Times • Jul. 13, 2023
Just when I thought I could be indolent, I’ve got to work.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 29, 2023
Day after day he went into the room where Lotus lay indolent upon her bed and he sat beside her and watched her at all she did.
From "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
