indolent

I1N1D2O1L1E1N1T1
UK, US/ˈɪn.də.lənt/

adjective

Habitually lazy, procrastinating, or resistant to physical labor.

“indolent comfort”

Similar
idlework-shyfaineantlazyotioseslothfulinactive
OriginFrench indolent ← Late Latin indolēns →
UncommonScrabble 9
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Meanings

adjectiveindolent (comparative more indolent, superlative most indolent)

comparative more indolent · superlative most indolent

  1. Habitually lazy, procrastinating, or resistant to physical labor.

    The indolent girl resisted doing her homework.

    2 more examples

    Mr. Churchill has pride; but his pride is nothing to his wife’s: his is a quiet, indolent, gentlemanlike sort of pride that would harm nobody, and only make himself a little helpless and tiresome; but her pride is arrogance and insolence!

    1815, Jane Austen, Emma, volume II, chapter 18

    […] the obscurities of his text are not due so much to inherent philosophical difficulties as to Lenin's indolent and superficial approach and his contempt for all problems that could not be put to direct use in the struggle for power.

    1978 [1976], Leszek Kołakowski, translated by P[aul] S[teven] Falla, Main Currents of Marxism, volume II: The Golden Age, Oxford: Clarendon Press, translation of Główne nurty marksizmu: rozwój (in Polish), →ISBN, →OCLC, page 466
  2. Inducing laziness.

    indolent comfort

  3. medicineCausing little or no physical pain; progressing slowly; inactive (of an ulcer, etc.).
  4. medicineHealing slowly.

Synonyms & antonyms

Similar
idlework-shy

adjectivedisinclined to work or exertion

Similar
faineantlazyotioseslothfulwork-shyidle

adjective(of tumors, e.g.) slow to heal or develop and usually painless

Similar
inactive
Also see
bone-idledullfaineantidleinactiveinertlackadaisicallazylitherotioseslothfulsluggishswear

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Late Latinindolēns
  2. Frenchindolent
  3. Englishindolent

From French indolent or directly from Late Latin indolēns, from in- (“not”) + dolēns (“hurting”), from doleo (“to hurt”). The later sense of “living easily, slothful” perhaps developed in French.

More words from French, Late Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic كَسُول, كَسْلَان
  • كَسُول (kasūl)habitually lazy
  • كَسْلَان (kaslān)habitually lazy
  • كَسِل (kasil)habitually lazy
Bulgarian ленив, мързелив
  • ленив (leniv)habitually lazy
  • мързелив (mărzeliv)habitually lazy
  • безболезнен (bezboleznen)medicine: causing little or no physical pain
  • бавно заздравяващ (bavno zazdravjavašt)medicine: healing slowly
Catalan indolent
  • indolenthabitually lazy
Czech lhostejný, líný
  • lhostejnýhabitually lazy
  • línýhabitually lazy
  • indolentníhabitually lazy
  • lenivýhabitually lazy
  • zahálčivýhabitually lazy
  • nebolestivýmedicine: causing little or no physical pain
Dutch werkschuw
  • werkschuwhabitually lazy
Finnish saamaton, veltto
  • saamatonhabitually lazy
  • velttohabitually lazy
  • veltostuttavainducing laziness
  • indolenttimedicine: causing little or no physical pain
  • kivutonmedicine: causing little or no physical pain
  • itsepintainenmedicine: healing slowly
French indolent, indolent
  • indolenthabitually lazy
  • indolentmedicine: causing little or no physical pain
German träge, faul
  • trägehabitually lazy
  • faulhabitually lazy
  • arbeitsscheuhabitually lazy
  • ermüdendinducing laziness
  • schmerzlosmedicine: causing little or no physical pain
  • indolentmedicine: causing little or no physical pain
  • schmerzfreimedicine: causing little or no physical pain
Hungarian lusta
  • lustahabitually lazy
Irish sácráilte, leasc
  • sácráiltehabitually lazy
  • leascmedicine: causing little or no physical pain
  • leascmedicine: healing slowly
Latin piger
  • pigerhabitually lazy
Norwegian arbeidsky
  • arbeidskyhabitually lazy
Polish leniwy, bezbolesny
  • leniwyhabitually lazy
  • bezbolesnymedicine: causing little or no physical pain
Portuguese indolente, vadio
  • indolentehabitually lazy
  • vadiohabitually lazy
  • indolenteinducing laziness
Russian лени́вый, пра́здный
  • лени́вый (lenívyj)habitually lazy
  • пра́здный (prázdnyj)habitually lazy
  • безде́ятельный (bezdéjatelʹnyj)habitually lazy
  • спосо́бствующий пра́здности (sposóbstvujuščij prázdnosti)inducing laziness
  • разне́живающий (raznéživajuščij)inducing laziness
  • безболе́зненный (bezboléznennyj)medicine: causing little or no physical pain
  • ме́дленно зажива́ющий (médlenno zaživájuščij)medicine: healing slowly
  • вялотеку́щий (vjalotekúščij)medicine: healing slowly
Scottish Gaelic leisg
  • leisghabitually lazy
Spanish indolente, indolente
  • indolentehabitually lazy
  • indolentemedicine: causing little or no physical pain
  • indolentemedicine: healing slowly
Turkish uyuz
  • uyuzhabitually lazy

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

nontileddeltonin
Cite this entry
APA

indolent. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/indolent

MLA

“indolent.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/indolent. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “indolent,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/indolent.

Source: indolent on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.