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

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
That’s not only because judges are fining more lawyers for their laziness, but because the publicity about these embarrassments has been inescapable. Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026 Impulsivity can be seen as bad temper, disorganization as laziness, and difficulty maintaining attention as lack of interest. Deldhy Nicolás Moya Sánchez, The Conversation, 16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Though the nights might still be cooler, many here in the South are gearing up for lazy front-porch sitting and festive back-patio soirees. Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 21 Apr. 2026 Dennis is an irresponsible pet owner and too lazy to take his dog for obedience training. Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 19 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for laziness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laziness
Noun
  • The Cuban model isn’t working, and its allies—China, Russia, and the pragmatic wing of Latin American progressivism—seem to have grown tired of the government’s inertia.
    Carlos Manuel Alvarez, Time, 24 Apr. 2026
  • In space, only inertia causes objects to move.
    Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Flying into Singapore over the weekend gave me a front row seat to the literal sea of cargo ships sitting idle in the Port of Singapore.
    Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 20 Apr. 2026
  • There’s also The Italian Restaurant located within the 6,100-square-foot entertainment complex that serves classic Italian comfort dishes (during idle times while dining, kids can feel free to jaunt toward the arcade for a round of air hockey before the plate of rigatoni is served).
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Bain was cited for careless driving at the time, but the charge was later dropped before Betts’ death.
    Rick Stroud, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026
  • In May 2024, Kansas City Chiefs team doctor Michael Monaco pleaded guilty to misdemeanor careless driving after fatally striking a man who had gotten out of his car to help the driver of a Chevrolet Equinox that had flipped over in November 2023.
    Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 23 Apr. 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
  • The once-sleepy CPU market has taken off as agentic workloads shift compute needs beyond Nvidia's graphics processing units (GPUs) that have ruled AI thus far.
    Katie Tarasov, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026
  • One year after Naqvi’s arrest at Heathrow, a media exposé into the working practices at a branch of the Nairobi Women’s Hospital in Nakuru, a sleepy town three hours’ drive from the Kenyan capital, gave a sense of the pressures staff were under during the final months of Abraaj’s ownership.
    Hettie O'Brien, The Dial, 21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Sid lives in the town of Matakana with her single, sometimes-neglectful alcoholic father Leo (Noah Taylor), who wanted to be a painter but now mows the lawns of rich neighbors and visiting Auckland rich boys occupying the beachfront mansions nearby in Omaha.
    Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 15 Mar. 2026
  • Dysfunctional families can look many different ways, but typically are controlling, secretive, neglectful, and uncommunicative.
    Sherri Gordon, Parents, 15 Mar. 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
  • 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
  • There are two types: Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which can be aggressive or indolent, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
    Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Laziness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laziness. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.

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