How to Use sluggish in a Sentence

sluggish

adjective
Definition of sluggishnext
Synonyms for sluggishnext
  • The game picked up after a sluggish start.
  • Missed 3-pointers were a big culprit, as was a sluggish defense.
    — Tony Baranek, Chicago Tribune, 7 Dec. 2022
  • The sun came out again, inflamed the wet kunai grass and dried the earth whose moisture rose in sluggish clouds of mist.
    — David Denby, The New Yorker, 19 Dec. 2022
  • Williams continued to make notable strides after a sluggish start to the season.
    — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 26 Nov. 2022
  • Lower mortgage rates could prompt more sales after a sluggish 2023.
    — Kate Talerico, The Mercury News, 9 Aug. 2024
  • The junior starter took some knocks because of a sluggish offense against Syracuse and Notre Dame.
    — Todd Shanesy, USA TODAY, 18 Nov. 2022
  • But negotiations over the past two weeks have been sluggish, even by the typically slow pace of global climate talks.
    — Sarah Kaplan, Evan Halper and Timothy Puko, Anchorage Daily News, 17 Nov. 2022
  • The Hoosiers came out sluggish, and Memphis led 21-15 after the opening period.
    — Matthew Vantryon, The Indianapolis Star, 27 Nov. 2022
  • The mine is set to open near the town of Whitehaven in Cumbria, an idyllic but economically sluggish patch of the UK.
    — Aurora Almendral, Quartz, 8 Dec. 2022
  • Delpit continued his better play on Saturday during a sluggish offensive first-quarter.
    — Irie Harris, cleveland, 26 Dec. 2022
  • Despite the lack of sophisticated weaponry, and to the surprise of much of the world, Ukrainian forces outfought the sluggish Russians in the Kyiv region.
    — Isabelle Khurshudyan, Washington Post, 23 Dec. 2022
  • The Stars shook off a sluggish start to handle the Panthers 5-1.
    — Stefan Stevenson, Dallas News, 8 Jan. 2023
  • The Latitude 7030 found itself in the front half of a rather sluggish pack.
    — PCMAG, 27 Mar. 2024
  • After a sluggish start to the season, the Nuggets have won seven games in a row and 17 of their past 20 games.
    — Nick Hennion, Chicago Tribune, 18 Jan. 2023
  • Missing sleep can lead to more than just a sluggish day.
    — Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 3 June 2024
  • In both games, a sluggish first period set the pace for the remainder of the game.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 15 May 2024
  • Green is far from blameless for the sluggish pace numbers.
    — Michael Shapiro, Chron, 7 Jan. 2023
  • Only on the way home did my thoughts begin to feel sluggish, like a fog was rolling across my brain.
    — Tove Danovich, The Atlantic, 6 Oct. 2023
  • No one likes to go to a restaurant and endure sluggish service.
    — Christopher L. Gasper, BostonGlobe.com, 28 Feb. 2023
  • Beaverton coach Kathy Naro isn’t worried about the sluggish start.
    — oregonlive, 5 Jan. 2023
  • One of the market's hottest sectors is having a sluggish start to back-to-school season.
    — WSJ, 5 Sep. 2023
  • There have been times this season when the Golden State Warriors have gotten off to sluggish starts on the road.
    — C.j. Holmes, San Francisco Chronicle, 30 Jan. 2023
  • No point in saving money by not splashing out on an iMac if the thing is sluggish or half-hearted.
    — David Phelan, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2023
  • North of the village of Hughes, in frigid, sluggish water, dim blue light penetrates 2 feet of lake ice.
    — Ned Rozell, Anchorage Daily News, 28 Jan. 2023
  • Most economists expect growth to remain sluggish in the first quarter of 2023 before picking up over the rest of the year.
    — Anna Cooban, CNN, 18 Jan. 2023
  • Our sluggish progress is impacting billions of people around the world.
    — Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 8 Mar. 2024
  • Bean threw for 276 yards and a pair of touchdowns, helping KU push through a sluggish start and soundly defeat Missouri State.
    — Kevin Reynolds, The Salt Lake Tribune, 6 Sep. 2023
  • The Bruins were sluggish from the first puck drop, never held a lead, and time and time again played pylons to the familiar Hurricanes track meet.
    — Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 29 Jan. 2023
  • In short, milk thistle has a detox function, which is great if your digestion is sluggish.
    — Valentina Bottoni, Vogue, 23 Mar. 2024
  • Other athletes who’ve taken them have reported feeling both physically and mentally sluggish and fuzzy.
    — Outside Online, 31 July 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sluggish.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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