1
as in sleepy
slow to move or act
a torpid sloth that refused to budge off its tree branch
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in numb
lacking in sensation or feeling
my tongue and throat remained torpid for a time following the endoscopy
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of torpid
The sequel, by contrast, is torpid, clogged with lengthy but uninteresting tête-à-têtes and generally lacking in vigor, even in the two blowout battle scenes in the final act.
—
Kyle Smith,
WSJ,
10 Nov. 2022
Even since Thailand’s 2014 coup d’etat that brought Prayuth to power, reform of the police has topped the agenda, yet progress has been torpid.
—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
6 Oct. 2022
The intensity of that airlift — one of the largest in history — stands in sharp contrast to the torpid pace of evacuations after the withdrawal.
—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Aug. 2022
This lowers the body temperature so much that a torpid hummingbird maintains a hypothermic threshold that nears death.
—
Janaya Wecker,
Good Housekeeping,
10 Aug. 2022
See All Example Sentences for torpid
Kyle Smith,
WSJ,
10 Nov. 2022
Even since Thailand’s 2014 coup d’etat that brought Prayuth to power, reform of the police has topped the agenda, yet progress has been torpid.
—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
6 Oct. 2022
The intensity of that airlift — one of the largest in history — stands in sharp contrast to the torpid pace of evacuations after the withdrawal.
—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Aug. 2022
This lowers the body temperature so much that a torpid hummingbird maintains a hypothermic threshold that nears death.
—
Janaya Wecker,
Good Housekeeping,
10 Aug. 2022
See All Example Sentences for torpid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torpid
Adjective
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Unlike much of the group stage, Sunday’s game was a sloppy, sleepy affair, with South Africa relying on some heroic play from its back line to keep the game even.
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The phone achieved download speeds of 463Mbps and upload speeds of 39Mbps in 5G testing in sleepy suburban areas.
Adjective
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Relationships often suffer as people withdraw or feel emotionally numb.
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Some doctors understandably get a bit numb to the pain of their patients.
Adjective
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But all work and no play can make for a dull chief scientific officer.
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The great speculators became talkative and communicative or dull, sullen, silent, and peevish.
Adjective
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When Bill’s older brother Henry (Barry Ward) finds the pianist in numbed solitude in his dingy apartment, Bill has canceled all his upcoming gigs, saying Scotty cannot be replaced.
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Ingber also notes the numbed response to these strikes from much of the American public, something that, in part, may come from the routine nature of these drone strikes as something that the nation has become desensitized to dropping bombs on enemies.
Adjective
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Many competitors often report feeling sluggish, sleepy, or uncomfortable afterward.
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Merz’s coalition of center-right and center-left parties took office just over a year ago with pledges to reform and turn around Germany’s sluggish economy, Europe’s biggest.
Adjective
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Ed Lomena, the attorney representing the pilot — who asked not to be identified by name for fear of job repercussions — says his client was asleep when the creatures entered the room.
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His attorney, Ed Lowena, said his client was asleep when the disturbance began.
Adjective
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Signs of heat stroke in dogs include heavy panting and drooling, being weak or lethargic, bright red gums and bloodshot eyes.
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When to Contact a Wildlife Rehabilitator Always contact a wildlife rehabilitator if the turtle appears injured, such as having a cracked shell, or seems lethargic or sick.
Adjective
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For galaxies with a quiescent supermassive black hole, astronomers measure how quickly the stars tightly packed near the center of the galaxy are traveling.
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As oil prices drop with the Iran war quiescent, US consumers might hope price rises could level off.
Cite this Entry
“Torpid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torpid. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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