indolent

[ in-dl-uhnt ]

adjective

1. having or showing a disposition to avoid exertion; slothful:

   an indolent person.

   Synonyms: torpid, sluggish, inactive, slow

2. Pathology. causing little or no pain; inactive or relatively benign:

   an indolent ulcer that is not painful and is slow to heal.

indolent

/ ˈɪndələnt /

adjective

1. disliking work or effort; lazy; idle
2. pathol causing little pain

   an indolent tumour

3. (esp of a painless ulcer) slow to heal

Derived Forms

• ˈindolently, adverb
• ˈindolence, noun

Other Words From

• indo·lent·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of indolent¹

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”; dole ², -ent

Word History and Origins

Origin of indolent¹

C17: from Latin indolēns not feeling pain, from in- ¹+ dolēns, from dolēre to grieve, cause distress

Synonym Study

See idle.

Example Sentences

It also sheds light on which patterns are linked to more indolent forms of the disease, where intervening with invasive surgery or toxic radiation or chemotherapy might do more harm than good.

From Time

Rather, there are indolent cancers, similar to those in the prostate, that grow more slowly, or hardly at all.

From Time

I mean, who else could possibly be as indolent as a teachers' union member?

From The Daily Beast

This kind of cancer can be so indolent that patients often die with it than from it.

From The Daily Beast

In part, that is because neuroendocrine cancers tend to be quite slow growing, or indolent.

From The Daily Beast

Salon wrote: “Hilton is the one everyone has come to see, and her indolent, dull coolness does not disappoint.”

From The Daily Beast

[Rushdie] cut to a passage that imagined the most indolent couple imaginable, Linda Evangelista and Goncharov's Ilya Oblomov.

From The Daily Beast

An indolent blonde, fond of dancing, but a nonentity from both the moral and the intellectual standpoints.

From Project Gutenberg

To this indolent, pleasure-loving son, nothing could be in greater contrast than the father.

From Project Gutenberg

The Portuguese are a people that require rousing; they are indolent, lazy, and generally helpless.

From Project Gutenberg

They are equally indolent and cowardly, when glutted with prey; and they seldom attack men unless they find them asleep.

From Project Gutenberg

Michel, who was so indolent that he would not pay the slightest attention to his own business affairs, in years gone by!

From Project Gutenberg