Accidie

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈæk.sɪ.di/

Definitions

1. A condition of spiritual torpor and indifference marked by neglect of religious obligations and moral effort
2. A profound state of emotional and spiritual lethargy accompanied by loss of motivation for devotional practice and ethical action
3. A state of deep mental and spiritual dullness causing neglect of religious duties and moral responsibilities

Etymology: Monks of the medieval church gave a name to a particular kind of spiritual exhaustion: the restless boredom that makes a person abandon prayer, work and duty. The Greek root is "akēdeia," literally "not caring," built from "a-" meaning "not" and "kēdos," meaning "care." Early Christian writers borrowed the idea into Latin as "acēdia," which meant sloth or torpor, and that form passed into Old French and then into Middle English as "accidie." The word has a close relative. "Acedia" is a doublet, a form of the same Greek word that reached English by a different route, and it keeps the original spelling and sense more closely. Accidie carries the older medieval flavour, the word of confessors and sermons, while acedia is the more formal version.

Synonyms: sloth, apathy, indifference, laziness, torpor

Antonyms: diligence, enthusiasm, energy, vigor, motivation