Torpid means sluggish, slow-moving, and lacking energy, like you're half-asleep even when you're awake. A torpid bear in late autumn moves slowly and eats constantly, preparing for winter hibernation. On a sweltering summer afternoon, you might feel torpid after a big lunch, barely able to move from the couch.

The word often describes animals in a state between sleep and wakefulness. Frogs become torpid in cold weather, their bodies slowing down until they seem barely alive. Scientists use torpor (the noun form) to describe this energy-saving state, where an animal's heart rate and breathing slow dramatically.

For people, being torpid involves both mental and physical sluggishness. A torpid mind struggles to think clearly or come up with ideas. After staying up too late, you might sit torpidly through morning classes, hearing words but not really processing them. A torpid economy barely grows. A torpid conversation drags along with long pauses and no enthusiasm.

When something is torpid, it's as if energy and alertness have drained away, leaving only sluggish, mechanical movement.