What does lethargy mean?
Word: Lethargy
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Lethargy means a heavy, sleepy feeling of having no energy or interest in doing things.
Synonyms: tiredness, sluggishness, laziness
Antonyms: energy, liveliness
How do you spell lethargy?
Syllables: leth - ar - gy
Tricky part: The g near the end sounds like j but is a g, and the start has th, not just t.
Watch out for: lethargie, letharjy, lethagy
Memory tip: Lethargy goes back to Lethe, the river of forgetting in Greek myths: begin the word with leth, just like Lethe.
Lethargy in a sentence
Example 1: A wave of lethargy hit the class after the long PT period.
Example 2: Grandpa shook off his lethargy with a cup of strong ginger tea.
Example 3: On Sunday afternoons a lazy lethargy settles over our whole house.
Fun Fact
Lethargy comes from the Greek word lethargia, which meant a drowsy kind of forgetfulness.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word:
lethargy
a) dullness
b) vigour
c) weariness
d) drowsiness
Show answer
b) vigour. Drowsiness, dullness and weariness are all close to lethargy; vigour is the energy that drives it away.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) strategy
b) allergy
c) energy
d) lethergy
Show answer
d) lethergy. The middle of lethargy is thar, with an a.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
lethargey
a) g
b) e
c) a
d) y
Show answer
b) e. Nothing comes between the g and the final y.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
yhtgreal
a) lethargic
b) lethargy
c) legacy
d) lengthy
Show answer
b) lethargy. Lethargic and legacy both need a c, and lengthy needs an n; lethargy uses all eight letters.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. After a long bus journey, Grandma felt a deep lethargy. She probably ____.
a) wanted to go out dancing
b) wanted to rest most of the day
c) had more energy than ever
d) felt like running a race
Show answer
b) wanted to rest most of the day
2. Which activity would best shake off afternoon lethargy?
a) a short brisk walk
b) sitting in a dark room
c) a heavy second lunch
d) skipping water all day
Show answer
a) a short brisk walk
