adjective
indolent
Causing little pain or progressing slowly.
The doctor monitors the indolent tumor for any signs of growth.
Etymology
The Latin adjective means without pain. The medical sense preserves that mild presentation and extends it to conditions that develop slowly or show little aggressive activity.
More examples
- Some indolent lymphomas grow slowly and do not require immediate treatment.
- The indolent ulcer causes little pain but heals slowly.
- An indolent infection may develop over months rather than days.
Forms
indolent
Similar words
- painless
- Means causing no pain, without indicating how quickly disease progresses.
- slow-growing
- Describes growth rate specifically, not how much pain occurs.