different between indolent vs slack

English

Etymology

From French indolent, from Latin indolens, from in- (“not”) +? dol?ns (“hurting”), from doleo (“to hurt”).

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /??n.d?.l?nt/

Adjective

indolent (comparative more indolent, superlative most indolent)

1. Habitually lazy, procrastinating, or resistant to physical labor
2. Inducing laziness

3. (medicine) Causing little or no physical pain; progressing slowly; inactive (of an ulcer, etc.)
4. (medicine) Healing slowly

Synonyms

• idle, work-shy; see also Thesaurus:lazy

Related terms

Translations

Anagrams

• deltonin, nontiled

French

Etymology

From Latin indolentem, accusative singular masculine and feminine of indol?ns, from in- (“not”) + dol?ns (“pain”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??.d?.l??/
• Homophone: indolents

Adjective

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

1. indolent (all senses)

German

Etymology

Borrowed from French indolent.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?ndo?l?nt/, /??ndol?nt/
• Hyphenation: in?do?lent

Adjective

indolent (comparative indolenter, superlative am indolentesten)

1. indolent (mentally lazy)

   Synonym: denkfaul

2. (medicine) insensible to pain

Declension

Related terms

• Indolenz

Further reading

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

Romanian

Etymology

From French indolent, from Latin indolens.

Adjective

indolent m or n (feminine singular indolent?, masculine plural indolen?i, feminine and neuter plural indolente)

1. indolent

Declension

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /slæk/
• Rhymes: -æk

Etymology 1

From Middle English slak, from Old English slæc (“slack”), from Proto-Germanic *slakaz. For sense of coal dust, compare slag.

Noun

slack (countable and uncountable, plural slacks)

1. (uncountable) The part of anything that hangs loose, having no strain upon it.

2. (countable) A tidal marsh or shallow that periodically fills and drains.
3. (uncountable, psychotherapy) Unconditional listening attention given by client to patient.
   • 1979, Richard Dean Rosen, Psychobabble (page 93)

     The counselor is directed to give his client "free attention," or "slack," performing a kind of vigil, a version of Carl Rogers's "unconditional positive regard."

   • 1983, Harvey Jackins, The Reclaiming of Power (page 14)

     We have apparently been doing this all our lives, since we were first distressed. This collection of ancient habits seems to be "energized" by the presence, or even the promise, of "slack" or free attention from any person in the situation […]

Synonyms

• (tidal marsh): slough

Translations

Adjective

slack (comparative slacker, superlative slackest)

1. (normally said of a rope) Lax; not tense; not firmly extended.

2. Weak; not holding fast.

3. Moderate in some capacity.
   1. Moderately warm.

   2. Moderate in speed.

4. lacking diligence or care; not earnest or eager.
5. Not active, successful, or violent.
6. Excess; surplus to requirements.

7. (slang, Caribbean, Jamaican) vulgar; sexually explicit, especially in dancehall music.
8. (linguistics) Lax.

Synonyms

• (not violent, rapid, or pressing): slow, moderate, easy

Derived terms

• slacken
• slack-jawed
• slackness

Translations

Adverb

slack (not comparable)

1. Slackly.

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English slakken, slaken, from Old English slacian, from Proto-Germanic *slak?n? (“to slack, slacken”).

Verb

slack (third-person singular simple present slacks, present participle slacking, simple past and past participle slacked)

1. To slacken.

   • In this business of growing rich, poor men […] should slack their pace.

2. (obsolete) To mitigate; to reduce the strength of.
3. To lose cohesion or solidity by a chemical combination with water; to slake.

Derived terms

• slack off

Translations

Etymology 3

Either from the adjective in Etymology 1 or the verb in Etymology 2.

Noun

slack (plural slacks)

1. (rail transport) A temporary speed restriction where track maintenance or engineering work is being carried out at a particular place.

Etymology 4

From Middle English slak, from Old Norse slakki (“a slope”). Cognate with Icelandic slakki, Norwegian slakke.

Noun

slack (plural slacks)

1. (countable) A valley, or small, shallow dell.

Etymology 5

Probably from German Schlacke (“dross, slag”). Doublet of slag.

Noun

slack (uncountable)

1. (mining) Small coal; coal dust.
   • 1905, Colliery Engineer (volume 25, page 107)

     One of the important improvements of recent years has been attained by mixing the peat pulp as it passes through the grinding machine, with other inflammable materials, such as bituminous coal dust, or slack […]

Synonyms

• culm

Derived terms

• nutty slack

Anagrams

• calks, kcals, lacks