Lethargy
Pronunciation
- RP IPA: /ˈlɛθədʒi/
- US IPA: /ˈlɛθɚdʒi/
Origin
From Latin lÄ“thargia, from Ancient Greek ληθαÏγία (lÄ“thargia, "drowsiness"), from λήθαÏγος (lÄ“thargos, "forgetful, lethargic"), from λήθη (lÄ“thÄ“, "forgetfulness") + á¼€Ïγός (argos, "not working").
Full definition of lethargy
Noun
lethargy
(countable and uncountable; plural lethargys)- (pathology) A condition characterized by extreme fatigue or drowsiness, or prolonged sleep patterns. from 14th c.
- c. 1599, William Shakespeare, King Henry IV, Part 2:This Apoplexie is (as I take it) a kind of Lethargie, a sleeping of the blood, a horson Tingling.
- 2003, Amanda Ripley, "At Last, the Pill for Men", Time, 20 Oct 2003:So in order to avoid unpleasant side effects like lethargy and sexual dysfunction, most recent trials also gave men testosterone supplements.
- A state of extreme torpor or apathy, especially with lack of emotion or interest; loosely, sluggishness, laziness. from 14th c.
- AtterburyEurope lay then under a deep lethargy.
- 1995, Bruce W Nelan, "Crime and Punishment", Time, 20 Mar 1995:Yakovlev, one of the architects of the reforms put in place by Mikhail Gorbachev, says he too is "amazed" at the government's lethargy.
- 2008, Nick Fletcher, The Guardian, 9 May 2008:The increase in mining stocks helped the FTSE 100 shake off some earlier lethargy and close 9.8 points higher at 6270.8, despite the disappointment of unchanged UK interest rates.