sluggard
pronunciation
How to pronounce sluggard in British English:
UK [ˈslʌgəd]
How to pronounce sluggard in American English:
US [ˈslʌgərd]
-
- Noun:
- an idle slothful person
Word Origin
- sluggard (n.)
- late 14c., late 13c. as a surname, "habitually lazy person," from Middle English sluggi "sluggish, indolent," probably from a Scandinavian word such as dialectal Norwegian slugga "be sluggish," dialectal Norwegian sluggje "heavy, slow person," dialectal Swedish slogga "to be slow or sluggish." Adjective sluggy is attested in English from early 13c. 'Tis the voice of a sluggard -- I heard him complain: "You have wak'd me too soon, I must slumber again." [Isaac Watts, 1674-1748] 'Tis the voice of the Lobster: I heard him declare "You have baked me too brown, I must sugar my hair." ["Lewis Carroll" (Charles L. Dodgson), 1832-1898] As an adjective meaning "sluggish, lazy" from 1590s. Related: Sluggardly.
Example
- 1. How long wilt you sleep , o sluggard ?
- 2. I went past the field of the sluggard , past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgment ;
- 3. How long will you sleep , sluggard ?
- 4. The sluggard says , " there is a lion in the road , a fierce lion roaming the streets ! "
- 5. Go to the ant , you sluggard ; consider her ways , and be wise .