slothful
Meaning
lazy and unwilling to make an effort to do anything
Structure
Usage
the slothful student slept through his morning classes.
she grew impatient with his slothful approach to the project.
the hot, humid weather made everyone feel slothful.
Etymology
the word 'slothful' is a compound formed within english from the native element 'sloth' and the suffix '-ful'. the root 'sloth' itself originates from the old english noun slǣwþ, which is derived from the adjective slāw meaning 'slow, sluggish, inert'. this old english term has germanic cognates and is ultimately traceable to the proto-indo-european root (s)lēw-, conveying notions of laxness or weakness. the suffix '-ful', from old english -ful, is a productive suffix used to create adjectives indicating an abundance of a quality. therefore, the literal construction 'full of sloth' evolved seamlessly into its modern abstract meaning of being characterized by laziness and indolence.
Analysis
sloth (middle english, from old english slǣwþ, meaning 'slowness, laziness'); ful (old english -ful, an adjective-forming suffix meaning 'full of' or 'characterized by').