slouched
slouched — verb
- slouchedpresent simple I / you / we / they
- sloucheds3rd person singular
- sloucheding-ing form
- slouchededpast simple
1. to hold the body in a loose, droopy way while standing, sitting, or walking — sh
to hold the body in a loose, droopy way while standing, sitting, or walking — shoulders falling forward, head dipped — giving the appearance of tiredness, boredom, or laziness
Daniel slouched in his chair during the long history lecture and almost fell asleep.
slouch + in [seat]: typical posture description
The teenager slouched against the brick wall outside the gym, headphones on.
slouch + against [surface]: leaning posture
Renata told her son to stop slouching at the dinner table and sit up properly.
Ilan slouched into the kitchen, dragging his backpack, after losing the football match.
The cashier slouched behind the counter, scrolling through her phone between customers.
- hunch
more about curving the upper back specifically; can be deliberate (hunch over a book) rather than careless
- stoop
often suggests bending forward from age or to fit under something, less the lazy-bored feel of slouch
- droop
can apply to body parts (shoulders droop) or non-human things (flowers droop); broader than slouch
- straighten
active correction: straighten up = stop slouching
文法句型
slouch + adverbial of place
slouch in/on/over/against [object]
用法筆記
Almost always intransitive. Subject is a person (or occasionally an animal); inanimate subjects do not slouch. Often paired with a location preposition (in a chair, against a wall, over a desk) to anchor the posture in a scene.
常見錯誤
slouched — noun
1. a way of holding or moving the body in which the shoulders drop forward and the
a way of holding or moving the body in which the shoulders drop forward and the head hangs down, giving a tired or careless look
Iris walked with a tired slouch after her twelve-hour nursing shift at the hospital.
walk with a [adjective] slouch: typical N-phrase
The dance teacher tried to correct Wei's slouch by placing a book on his head.
correct/fix someone's slouch: common verb-noun pair
Years at a desk had given Nadia a permanent slouch that physiotherapy could not fully cure.
Zayd's slouch made him look uninterested during the interview, even though he was paying close attention.
文法句型
have/walk with a slouch
用法筆記
Almost always singular and preceded by a possessive (his slouch, her slouch) or an adjective (tired slouch, lazy slouch). Differs from sense 2 — this sense names the posture itself, while sense 2 names a person judged by their posture or behaviour.
常見錯誤
2. a person who is clumsy, weak at something, or generally not impressive — almost
a person who is clumsy, weak at something, or generally not impressive — almost always used in the negative phrase 'no slouch' to praise someone as being skilled or strong
Folake is no slouch at chess — she beat the regional champion in under twenty moves.
be no slouch at [skill]: praising idiom usage
Don't let Christopher's quiet manner fool you; he is no slouch when it comes to negotiating contracts.
no slouch + when it comes to: extended idiom
The old farm truck looks rough, but the engine is no slouch on steep mountain roads.
Nellie's grandmother, at eighty-two, is no slouch in the kitchen — her pies still win the county fair.
- weakling
more about physical weakness; slouch covers any kind of incompetence
- lightweight
informal; suggests lack of seriousness or skill, similar register to slouch
文法句型
be no slouch (at/in/when it comes to)
用法筆記
Almost exclusively appears in the fixed pattern 'be no slouch (at / in / when it comes to)'. Positive uses ('he is a slouch') are vanishingly rare in modern speech. Distinguish from sense 1 (posture) by context: this sense is always about ability or competence, never physical bearing.