# sloth

/ˈsɫoʊθ/ (US) · /slˈɒθ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/sloth
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. the animal

noun · CEFR B1

a slow-moving animal that lives in trees in Central and South America.

For teachers: any of several slow-moving, arboreal, xenarthran mammals of the suborder Folivora, native to the tropical rainforests of South and Central America.

- The sloth spent most of the day hanging upside down from a tree branch.
- Biologists observed the three-toed sloth moving with extreme deliberation through the canopy, a strategy that helps it avoid detection by predators.

### 2. laziness

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal · Literary

the habit of being lazy or slow to act.

For teachers: habitual laziness or spiritual apathy; traditionally considered one of the seven deadly sins.

- His failure to finish the project was due to pure sloth rather than a lack of time.
- The moralist argued that the nation's economic decline was a direct result of collective sloth and a lack of innovation.

### 3. a group of bears

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Literary

a rare name for a group of bears.

For teachers: a collective noun used to refer to a group of bears.

- We were surprised to see a sloth of bears gathered near the river.
- While 'sleuth' is the more common collective noun, some older texts refer to a sloth of bears wandering the forest.

## Examples

- He was fired from his job because of his constant sloth.
- The manager complained that the team's collective sloth was the primary reason they missed the project deadline.
- In classical literature, sloth is portrayed not merely as physical laziness but as a spiritual apathy that prevents a person from fulfilling their moral duties.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.