laziness 1 of 3

Definition of lazinessnext

lazy

2 of 3

adjective

lazy

3 of 3

verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word lazy distinct from other similar adjectives?

The words indolent and slothful are common synonyms of lazy. While all three words mean "not easily aroused to activity," lazy suggests a disinclination to work or to take trouble.

take-out foods for lazy cooks

When is it sensible to use indolent instead of lazy?

Although the words indolent and lazy have much in common, indolent suggests a love of ease and a dislike of movement or activity.

the heat made us indolent

When might slothful be a better fit than lazy?

While in some cases nearly identical to lazy, slothful implies a temperamental inability to act promptly or speedily when action or speed is called for.

fired for being slothful about filling orders

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of laziness
Noun
After battling burnout, persistent procrastination or social weariness for years, professionals are beginning to wonder if laziness was ever the cause. Malana Vantyler, Sacbee.com, 15 Apr. 2026 Others mistakenly describe these acts as flakiness, disobedience, laziness, or personal failure in the absence of context. Gretchen Wittenmyer-Stone, Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
The shallow pool feeds a waterfall that cascades down to the deeper lazy river below. David Caraccio may 9, Sacbee.com, 9 May 2026 They are relaxed and sometimes very lazy. Kevin West, Travel + Leisure, 8 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for laziness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laziness
Noun
  • Some of us had spent twenty years in the same career and were itching for a change but stuck in inertia.
    Parul Somani, Forbes.com, 14 May 2026
  • Large majorities of people know what these passwordless credentials are and use them to log in to at least some accounts, but they are being held back by organizational inertia.
    Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 7 May 2026
Adjective
  • After months of mounting hype and idle space, the 2026 NFL schedule has finally been unveiled in full.
    Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 16 May 2026
  • These days, the 007 sits idle while schools of fish nibble at the algae that grows on its barriers.
    Scotty Reiss, Forbes.com, 14 May 2026
Adjective
  • After an almost year-long investigation by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office charged Pino with three misdemeanor counts of careless boating resulting in death.
    Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 15 May 2026
  • Dahlin earned another interference penalty later, and Zucker’s roughing penalty was careless.
    Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 13 May 2026
Verb
  • On March 17, a video obtained by TMZ showed LaBeouf in a hotel lobby in Rome, Italy, wearing only his underwear and trying to bum a light for a cigarette.
    Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Spring cleaning bumming you out?
    K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Tucked into the sleepy hillside village of Agra, the home was originally commissioned as a vacation house for Milanese entrepreneur Luigi Cattaneo.
    Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 13 May 2026
  • Memory has been the biggest theme of late due to a global shortage that's driven up prices and turned Micron, a 47-year-old company tucked in a sleepy corner of the semiconductor market, into one of the hottest trades over the past 12 months.
    Samantha Subin, CNBC, 8 May 2026
Adjective
  • To do otherwise is neglectful and selfish.
    Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2026
  • Above a certain socioeconomic threshold, not spending an extra $1,000 a year or more in the hopes of doing so could seem neglectful.
    Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 2 May 2026
Verb
  • Instead of setting up a spot on the sand, beachgoers typically pitch their chairs in the shallow clear blue water and laze the day away.
    Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 25 Feb. 2026
  • But its proximity to the Arenal Volcano also means plenty of mineral-rich hot springs to laze around in.
    Jessica Sulima, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Furthermore, there is a risk of overdiagnosis, where the test detects a slow-growing, indolent cancer that would never have caused harm in a person’s lifetime, leading to unnecessary treatments, side effects and psychological burden.
    Jesse Pines, Forbes.com, 8 Feb. 2026
  • Every 4:3 shot is framed to maximize the social verticality of the club, and every sequence is edited to evoke the indolent energy of a hot car on a hot summer’s day.
    David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 23 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Laziness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laziness. Accessed 20 May. 2026.

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