sloth
/sləʊθ
/noun
1 [mass noun] Reluctance to work or make an effort; laziness: he should overcome his natural sloth and complacency...
- It seems to be intrinsic to domestic politics of every variety that a certain dismal downward trend emerges, characterized by sloth, despondency and complacency.
- Once again the drawbacks to living a life of laziness and sloth became apparent.
- Their lack of mathematical acumen is taken by parents and teachers as evidence of laziness, of sloth.
Synonyms
laziness, idleness, indolence, slothfulness, inactivity, inertia, sluggishness, apathy, accidie, listlessness, lassitude, passivity, lethargy, languor, torpidity, slowness, heaviness, dullness, shiftlessness
French archaic fainéance
rare hebetude
2A slow-moving tropical American mammal that hangs upside down from the branches of trees using its long limbs and hooked claws.
- Families Bradypodidae (three species of three-toed sloth in genus Bradypus) and Megalonychidae (two species of two-toed sloth in genus Choloepus), order Xenarthra (or Edentata). See also ground sloth.
- In South America, a group known as the Xenarthrans developed, today represented by the anteaters, sloths and armadillos.
- Monkeys, tapirs, sloths, anteaters, and bats abound, all in an area the size of West Virginia.
3 rare A group of bears: the pair had been attacked by a sloth of bears...
- Where food is plentiful, like at a salmon stream, you will often see a sloth of bears.
- "Isn't thirteen a large number for a sloth of bears?" "It certainly is," the hunter answered, "six is as many as I ever saw together."
- The food that bears eat is not often found in large quantities and would not be enough to feed a group, or sloth, of bears.
Origin
Old English: from slow + -th2.