1
as in sleepy
slow to move or act
a torpid sloth that refused to budge off its tree branch
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in numb
lacking in sensation or feeling
my tongue and throat remained torpid for a time following the endoscopy
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of torpid
This lowers the body temperature so much that a torpid hummingbird maintains a hypothermic threshold that nears death.
—
Janaya Wecker, Good Housekeeping, 10 Aug. 2022
Inside, though, Ingrid is in a state of torpid discontent, unhappy with her circumstances but unsure of how to change them.
—Sarah Chihaya, The New York Review of Books, 25 May 2022
The water was so torpid that a thick layer of dust had settled onto it, giving it a cheerless brown tinge.
—Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2022
The ongoing slog has come to symbolize the dilemma multinationals face when confronting Germany’s notoriously torpid bureaucracy.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2022
See All Example Sentences for torpid
Janaya Wecker, Good Housekeeping, 10 Aug. 2022
Inside, though, Ingrid is in a state of torpid discontent, unhappy with her circumstances but unsure of how to change them.
—Sarah Chihaya, The New York Review of Books, 25 May 2022
The water was so torpid that a thick layer of dust had settled onto it, giving it a cheerless brown tinge.
—Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2022
The ongoing slog has come to symbolize the dilemma multinationals face when confronting Germany’s notoriously torpid bureaucracy.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2022
See All Example Sentences for torpid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torpid
Adjective
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The queen, who is currently competing on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, is near-singlehandedly turning the All Stars franchise from a sleepy series to a must-watch by playing the game strategically and having fun doing it.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
30 May 2025
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Ultimately, what was once a sleepy and steady sector of the US economy is starting to become much more dynamic.—
Steven Dudash,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
On one hand, actors become more and more capable of doing impossible stunts with the help of technology, and yet, on the other hand, the concept of danger and limit gets blurred and the audience is numb [to it].—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
11 May 2025
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My forehead stiffened and went numb, like it was made of concrete that had suddenly set.—
Sarah Miller,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The bittersweet result didn’t dull a remarkable career and legacy for Kelly.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
31 May 2025
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But the drama can be very stolid, borderline dull at times.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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The wrap will return to McDonald’s menus on July 10 as the company struggles to turnaround a sluggish start to the year.—
Ramishah Maruf,
CNN Money,
3 June 2025
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With limited law enforcement action targeting clearnet advertisers and a sluggish regulatory response, the risk-reward balance heavily favors fraudsters.—
Dr. David Maimon,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
Adjective
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Infant Lili — who seemed to be asleep! — kept cozy in a striped hat as Meghan held her daughter in her arms.—
Janine Henni,
People.com,
4 June 2025
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In addition to the Washington, D.C., and Boulder attacks, a 38-year-old man was arrested in April and charged with firebombing the Pennsylvania governor's residence in Harrisburg, while Gov. Josh Shapiro, who is Jewish, and his family were asleep inside, officials said.—
Bill Hutchinson,
ABC News,
3 June 2025
Adjective
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The toddler appears to be lethargic while in hospital.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 May 2025
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After Game 1’s lethargic start by Florida, the Panthers opened perfectly Wednesday: With jets in the skates, with a vintage-good Bobrovsky at the net, with a continued big penalty-kill, and with a 1-0 lead mid-period on Barkov’s wrist shot on a power play.—
Greg Cote,
Miami Herald,
8 May 2025
Adjective
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But just because a stock has been quiescent for a while is no reason to disdain it.—
John Dorfman,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2025
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In the early 2000s, the U.S. invasion of Iraq united Iraqi Kurds in a quest to preserve their autonomy, and the rivalry in greater Kurdistan eclipsed the quiescent Kurdish rivalry within Iraq.—
Behnam Ben Taleblu,
Foreign Affairs,
8 Nov. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Torpid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torpid. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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