Lethargy

/ˈlɛθ.ə(ɹ).d͡ʒi/

Synonyms for "lethargy" (199 found)

Ranked by relevance and common usage.

Closest matches (40)

Strong matches (60)

Related words (99)

Choosing the right synonym

  • Closest matches in this entry: sluggishness, absent energy, abstraction, abulia, acedia.
  • Sentence evidence is available for lethargy, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
  • Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, derived_reverse, moby, and related lexical sources.

Synonym selection checklist

  • Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
  • Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
  • Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "lethargy".
  • Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.

When not to replace "lethargy"

Keep "lethargy" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.

If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.

Replacement workflow

1. Preserve meaning

Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "lethargy" intact in the sentence you are editing.

2. Tune tone

Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.

3. Re-read context

Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.

Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.

Final fit check

After choosing a replacement for "lethargy", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.

If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "lethargy" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.

Related word relations

OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.

5 relation types

More general

10 entries

More specific

2 entries

Collocations

6 entries
clinical lethargyextreme lethargymental lethargyphysical lethargyprolonged lethargysevere lethargy

Inflections

1 entries

Derivations

4 entries

Translations

43 translations across 28 languages.

Powered by Wiktionary

Ancient Greek

1 entries
  • λήθαργος noun (pathological state of fatigue)

Arabic

1 entries
  • خُمُول noun (pathological state of fatigue)

Armenian

3 entries
  • լեթարգիա noun (pathological state of fatigue)
  • կեղծամահ noun (pathological state of fatigue)
  • մահաքուն noun (pathological state of fatigue)

Bulgarian

2 entries
  • вялост noun (pathological state of fatigue)
  • отпуснатост noun (pathological state of fatigue)

Catalan

1 entries
  • letargia noun (pathological state of fatigue)

Chinese Mandarin

1 entries
  • 疲勞 /疲劳 noun (pathological state of fatigue)

Czech

1 entries
  • letargie noun (pathological state of fatigue)

Danish

1 entries
  • letargi noun (pathological state of fatigue)

Dutch

4 entries
  • futloosheid noun (pathological state of fatigue)
  • lethargie noun (pathological state of fatigue)
  • lusteloosheid noun (pathological state of fatigue)
  • slaapzucht noun (pathological state of fatigue)

Esperanto

1 entries
  • letargio noun (pathological state of fatigue)

Finnish

1 entries
  • letargia noun (pathological state of fatigue)

French

1 entries
  • léthargie noun (pathological state of fatigue)

German

3 entries
  • Lethargie noun (pathological state of fatigue)
  • Schlafsucht noun (pathological state of fatigue)
  • Trägheit noun (pathological state of fatigue)

Greek

1 entries
  • λήθαργος noun (pathological state of fatigue)

Indonesian

1 entries
  • letargi noun (pathological state of fatigue)

Japanese

1 entries
  • 疲労 noun (pathological state of fatigue)

Latin

2 entries
  • torpedo noun (pathological state of fatigue)
  • veternus noun (pathological state of fatigue)

Macedonian

1 entries
  • исцр́пеност noun (pathological state of fatigue)

Malay

2 entries
  • kelesuan noun (pathological state of fatigue)
  • letargi noun (pathological state of fatigue)

Māori

1 entries
  • tīrohea noun (pathological state of fatigue)

Norwegian

1 entries
  • letargi noun (pathological state of fatigue)

Persian

1 entries
  • لتارژی noun (pathological state of fatigue)

Portuguese

1 entries
  • letargia noun (pathological state of fatigue)

Romanian

1 entries
  • letargie noun (pathological state of fatigue)

Russian

3 entries
  • вя́лость noun (pathological state of fatigue)
  • уста́лость noun (pathological state of fatigue)
  • утомле́ние noun (pathological state of fatigue)

Spanish

2 entries
  • aletargamiento noun (pathological state of fatigue)
  • letargo noun (pathological state of fatigue)

Swedish

1 entries
  • letargi noun (pathological state of fatigue)

Turkish

3 entries
  • letarji noun (pathological state of fatigue)
  • yorgunluk noun (pathological state of fatigue)
  • yorguntu noun (pathological state of fatigue)

Sample sentences

10 total sentences available.

Tatoeba + Wiktionary

As I have mentioned somewhere in these incoherent memoirs, the outbursts of passionate energy when he performed the remarkable feats with which his name is associated were followed by reactions of lethargy during which he would lie about with his violin and his books, hardly moving save from the sofa to the table.

Source: tatoeba (6981856)

Eating too many carbs before a run, if your body isn't used to it yet, could lead to lethargy.

Source: tatoeba (10359570)

Lethargy is a common symptom of that disease.

Source: tatoeba (10455275)

Europe lay then under a deep lethargy.

Source: wiktionary

Showing 4 of 10 available sentences.

Common questions

What are the closest synonyms for "lethargy"?

Closest matches include sluggishness, absent energy, abstraction, abulia, acedia.

How should I check whether a synonym fits "lethargy"?

Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.

More for "lethargy"