indolent

[in-dl-uhnt]

adjective

1. having or showing a disposition to avoid exertion; slothful.

   an indolent person.

   Synonyms: torpid, sluggish, inactive, slow

2. Pathology.,  causing little or no pain; inactive or relatively benign.

   an indolent ulcer that is not painful and is slow to heal.

indolent

/ ˈɪndələnt /

adjective

1. disliking work or effort; lazy; idle

2. pathol causing little pain

   an indolent tumour

3. (esp of a painless ulcer) slow to heal

Other Word Forms

• indolence noun
• indolently adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of indolent¹

First recorded in 1655–65; from Latin indolent- (stem of indolēns ), equivalent to in- in- ³ + dolent- (stem of dolēns ), present participle of dolēre “to be painful, be in pain”; dole ², -ent

Word History and Origins

Origin of indolent¹

C17: from Latin indolēns not feeling pain, from _in- ¹ + dolēns, from dolēre to grieve, cause distress

Synonym Study

See idle.

Example Sentences

But these roles are few and far between, remaining at a distance in favor of indolent stories that only echo the humor of Sandler’s earliest work.

From Salon

She added: "We will always be grateful that Moth's version of CBS is indolent, its slow progression has allowed us time to discover how walking helps him."

From BBC

During the summer, outdoor chairs overlook the water for the indolent; more active visitors can borrow bicycles to explore the tiny neighborhood on the Toke Point peninsula.

From Seattle Times

He did at some point own a Lake Erie steamship, which may have confused those indolent researchers Allen and Rice.

From Los Angeles Times

The truce idea was not born of naivete, but of desperation, in a country with over 110,000 disappeared and woefully indolent or over-worked police and forensics examiners.

From Seattle Times