Etymology Map
Back to all words

Indolent

2 stages from Late Latin to English.

Today it means lazy

Where does the word "indolent" come from? It comes from Late Latin indolens, adopted directly into English (1660s).

1
Stage 1 of 2
indolens
Late Latin · ancient
"painless"
'in-', not, plus 'dolere', to suffer pain
2
Stage 2 of 2
indolent
English · 1660s
"painless"
the sense 'lazy', avoiding effort as if it were pain, dates from the 1700s
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Read the full story

Indolent’s story begins in Late Latin: indolens meant “painless.” 'in-', not, plus 'dolere', to suffer pain. It reached English by 1660s as indolent. The sense 'lazy', avoiding effort as if it were pain, dates from the 1700s. Today, indolent means lazy.