torpid

¹ American  

[tawr-pid] / ˈtɔr pɪd /

adjective

1. inactive or sluggish.

   Antonyms:

   energetic

2. slow; dull; apathetic; lethargic.

   Synonyms:

   indolent

3. dormant, as a hibernating or estivating animal.

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torpid ² American  

[tawr-pid] / ˈtɔr pɪd /

noun

1. an eight-oared, clinker-built boat used for races at Oxford University during the Lenten term.

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torpid British  

/ ˈtɔːpɪd /

adjective

1. apathetic, sluggish, or lethargic

2. (of a hibernating animal) dormant; having greatly reduced metabolic activity

3. unable to move or feel

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Related Words

See inactive.

Other Word Forms

• torpidity noun
• torpidly adverb
• torpidness noun

Etymology

Origin of torpid¹

First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin torpidus “numb,” equivalent to torp(ēre) “to be stiff or numb” + -idus -id ⁴

Origin of torpid²

First recorded in 1830–40; special use of torpid ¹

Example Sentences

The staging, directed by Ash K. Tata, is almost entirely devoid of laudable performances, and the result is a long and torpid evening.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026

Finally, after three torpid days, this Test exploded into life.

From BBC • Jul. 13, 2025

But the pathogen’s ability to remain infectious during torpid and active states is an important addition to this story.

From Salon • Jul. 30, 2024

In situations like these, there are defining moments along the way that set off alarm bells, but these clarion calls were left mostly unmet by a torpid international community.

From Washington Times • Sep. 27, 2023

Great stretches of the long grass, once the teeming jungle of summer, were almost deserted, with only a hurrying beetle or a torpid spider left out of all the myriads of August.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams