Word of the Day Archive
Friday April 26, 2002

Today's Word | Yesterday's Word | Previous Words | Subscribe for Free | Help

indolent \IN-duh-luhnt\ , adjective:
1. Avoiding labor and exertion; habitually idle; lazy; inactive.
2. Conducive to or encouraging laziness or inactivity.
3. Causing little or no pain.
4. Slow to heal, develop, or grow.

We worked very hard--at least Iris did; I was more naturally indolent.
-- John Bayley, Elegy for Iris

Charles was too indolent -- he never applied himself to the business of kingship as Louis XIV did.
-- John Brewer, The Pleasures of the Imagination

There, people did as much as they chose and few ripples ever disturbed the prevailing atmosphere of indolent tranquillity.
-- Rufina Philby, "et al.", The Private Life of Kim Philby

Now, though, researchers understand that some cancers are indolent -- so indolent, in fact, that they will never grow large enough in the patient's lifetime to cause medical problems.
-- Gina Kolata, "Test Proves Fruitless, Fueling New Debate on Cancer Screening", New York Times, April 9, 2002

Indolent is from Latin in-, "not" + dolens, "hurting, suffering pain," from dolere, "to suffer pain."

Dictionary.com Entry and Pronunciation for indolent

 

AddThis: