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letargo

lethargy

noun leh-TAHR-goh Rare

Origin: Greek lethargia, from Lethe (river of forgetfulness in mythology)

Usage Note

Letargo refers to deep drowsiness, torpor, or sluggishness — physical, mental, or metaphorical (el letargo económico = economic stagnation). In zoology it also means hibernation (letargo invernal). The adjective letárgico describes the state. It is always masculine: el letargo.

Examples

"El calor de agosto lo sumía en un profundo letargo."

Natural Translation

The August heat plunged him into a deep lethargy.

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