noun
- spiritual or mental sloth; apathy and inactivity in the practice of virtue
Usage: formal; theological
Examples
- The monk struggled with acedia during his long hours of prayer.
- Medieval theologians considered acedia one of the deadly sins.
- Her acedia prevented her from engaging in meaningful spiritual practice.
- The desert fathers wrote extensively about overcoming acedia.
- Acedia manifested as a profound indifference to religious duties.
- The spiritual director helped him recognize his acedia and find renewed purpose.