Word + Quiz: indolent

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Word + Quiz: indolent

1. disinclined to work or exertion, or lazy

2. (of tumors, e.g.) slow to heal or develop and usually painless

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The word indolent has appeared in 19 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on Jan. 16 in “‘Bad Boys for Life’ Review: In a Minivan, but Still Riding” by Glenn Kenny:

The comedic chemistry of Martin Lawrence and Will Smith has to do a lot of heavy lifting in “Bad Boys for Life,” the third buddy-cop action movie to feature the pair as maverick Miami detectives. They get the job done — delivering a mildly enjoyable movie that committed fans of the franchise will rate a lot higher — but they have to hack through a lot of by-the-numbers plotting and indolent characterizations to get there.

The opening sequence depicts Will Smith’s Mike Lowrey at the wheel of a Porsche, speeding furiously, while Martin Lawrence’s Marcus Burnett shouts loud enough to drown out the engine. As it’s been 17 years since “Bad Boys II,” one might smell a midlife-male punch line, and sure enough, they are in a hurry to attend the birth of Marcus’s grandson. Marcus, hence, would like to stop and smell the roses; Mike thinks retirement is a dirty word.

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