Yesterday we left you running at double speed with a high dose of caffeine from espresso – today we’ll slow things down with a set of four adjectives that aren’t moving very fast at all.

dilatory (DIH-luh-tor-ee)
From the Latin word dilatorius (“deferring”) this adjective describes either a procrastinator, someone who is deliberately delaying a process, or the method by which that procrastination or delay is achieved.
Example 1: The senator insisted on having the full text of each new bill read out loud before a vote could be called, and by this dilatory tactic managed to delay the passage of the budget bill until after the tax deadline had expired.
Example 2: “The whole party were in hopes of a letter from Mr. Bennet the next morning, but the post came in without bringing a single line from him. His family knew him to be, on all common occasions, a most negligent and dilatory correspondent; but at such a time they had hoped for exertion.” – Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

lethargic (luh-THAR-jik)
In Greek mythology, the river Lethe flowed through the underworld (Hades) and the newly-arrived dead would drink the water from the river to forget their past lives. The word lethargic can mean “indifferent, uncaring” and can also indicate someone or something that is slow and sluggish, unwilling or unable to move quickly. The noun form of this word is lethargy.
Example: Upon hearing that the factory was shutting down, the employees became depressed and lethargic and their productivity plummeted, sending the company into bankruptcy even more quickly.

stagnant (STAG-nuhnt)
The Latin word stagnatum (“standing [water]”) is the basis for this word, which still has the same general meaning today. Stagnant water can be found in pools and puddles that have no fresh water coming in. In a more general sense, something that is stagnant is showing little to no movement.
Example: In this stagnant economic climate, it can be hard to find investors who are willing to take a chance on a start-up company.

torpid (TOR-pihd)
The word torpid can be used as a synonym for lethargic, when talking about a person or an animal that is sitting still and unwilling to move, though otherwise conscious. However, it’s also used to describe a state of torpor, which is more like hibernation or a very deep sleep. Torpor has its roots in the Latin word for “numbness” and a creature that is torpid might not move if you poke it with a pin, though a merely lethargic one will show a reaction.
Example: “It is man’s own fault, it is from want of use, if his mind grows torpid in old age.” – Samuel Johnson

Keep your mind alert and growing with your English vocabulary study and by practicing these new words.