2. The quality or condition of being indolent; inaction, or want of exertion of body or mind, proceeding from love of ease or aversion to toil; habitual idleness; indisposition to labor; laziness; sloth; inactivity. Life spent in indolence, and therefore sad. Cowper. As there is a great truth wrapped up in "diligence," what a lie, on the other hand, lurks at the root of our present use of the word "indolence"! This is from "in" and "doleo," not to grieve; and indolence is thus a state in which we have no grief or pain; so that the word, as we now employ it, seems to affirm that indulgence in sloth and ease is that which would constitute for us the absence of all pain. Trench.
INDOLENCY
In"do*len*cy, n.
Defn: Indolence. [Obs.] Holland.
INDOLENT In"do*lent, a. Etym: [Pref. in- not + L. dolens, -entis, p. pr. of dolere to feel pain: cf. F. indolent. See Dolorous.]
1. Free from toil, pain, or trouble. [Obs.]
2. Indulging in ease; avoiding labor and exertion; habitually idle; lazy; inactive; as, an indolent man. To waste long nights in indolent repose. Pope.
3. (Med.)
Defn: Causing little or no pain or annoyance; as, an indolent tumor.
Syn.
— Idle; lazy; slothful; sluggish; listless; inactive; inert. See
Idle.
INDOLENTLY
In"do*lent*ly, adv.