Word of the day · 29 June 2026
indolent
/ˈɪndələnt/
adjective
Wanting to avoid activity or exertion; lazy. In medicine, causing little or no pain.
In a sentence
- An indolent afternoon on the porch replaced the planned hike.
- Critics called the sequel indolent in its plotting.
- Doctors described the tumor as indolent and slow-growing.
In an image
Origin
From Late Latin indolens (painless), from in- (not) and dolere (to feel pain); English later extended it to dislike of exertion.
History
Doctors still use indolent for slow, low-pain diseases. Everyday English shifted the word toward habitual laziness. Calling someone indolent is sharper than calling them tired: it suggests preference, not only fatigue. The medical sense survives beside the moral one, so context matters.
Nearby words
lazy · slothful · listless
A soft refusal of effort, or a condition that stays quiet.