indolent

English

WOTD – 18 December 2008

Etymology

From French indolent or directly from Late Latin indolēns, from in- (not) +‎ dolēns (hurting), from doleo (to hurt).[1][2] The later sense of “living easily, slothful” perhaps developed in French.[2]

Pronunciation

  • (UK, US) IPA(key): /ˈɪn.də.lənt/
  • Audio (US):(file)

Adjective

indolent (comparative more indolent, superlative most indolent)

  1. Habitually lazy, procrastinating, or resistant to physical labor.
    The indolent girl resisted doing her homework.
    • 1815, Jane Austen, Emma, volume II, chapter 18:
      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!
  2. Inducing laziness.
    indolent comfort
  3. (medicine) Causing little or no physical pain; progressing slowly; inactive (of an ulcer, etc.).
  4. (medicine) Healing slowly.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

References

  1. ^ indolent, adj. and n.”, in OED Online , Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “indolent (adj.)”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Anagrams

Danish

Etymology

Borrowed from French indolent, from Latin indolens, from in- (not) +‎ dolēns (hurting), from doleo (to hurt).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [endoˈlɛnˀd]

Adjective

indolent

  1. , indifferent, dull

Synonyms

References

French

Etymology

From Latin indolentem, accusative singular masculine and feminine of indolēns, from in- (not) + dolēns (pain).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɛ̃.dɔ.lɑ̃/
  • Homophone: indolents

Adjective

indolent (feminine indolente, masculine plural indolents, feminine plural indolentes)

  1. indolent (all senses)

Further reading

German

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin indolens.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɪndoˈlɛnt/, /ˈɪndolɛnt/
  • Audio:(file)
  • Hyphenation: in‧do‧lent

Adjective

indolent (strong nominative masculine singular indolenter, comparative indolenter, superlative am indolentesten)

  1. indolent (mentally lazy)
    Synonyms: geistig träge, (pejorative) denkfaul
  2. (medicine) insensible to pain
    Synonyms: schmerzunempfindlich, schmerzlos
  3. (medicine) painless
    Synonyms: schmerzfrei, schmerzlos

Declension

Further reading

  • indolent” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
  • indolent” in Duden online

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French indolent, from Latin indolens.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /in.doˈlent/

Adjective

indolent m or n (feminine singular indolentă, masculine plural indolenți, feminine and neuter plural indolente)

  1. indolent

Declension

Declension of indolent
singular plural
masculine neuter feminine masculine neuter feminine
nominative-
accusative
indefinite indolent indolentă indolenți indolente
definite indolentul indolenta indolenții indolentele
genitive-
dative
indefinite indolent indolente indolenți indolente
definite indolentului indolentei indolenților indolentelor