laziness 1 of 3

lazy

2 of 3

adjective

lazy

3 of 3

verb

Try This Instead

For
Try This
lazy people
unmotivated people
sluggish people
idle people
slothful people
lazy days
sleepy days
a lazy evaluation
a sloppy evaluation
an imprecise evaluation
a poor evaluation
an insufficient evaluation
an inefficient evaluation
a lazy dog
an inactive dog
a sluggish dog
a lethargic dog
an idle dog
a sleepy dog

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
Adjective
This is not about censorship or promoting lazy AI-dependent writing. Zain Verjee, semafor.com, 7 July 2025 But before the only agenda for the day involves lazy lunches by the sea, there’s the little matter of the packing list—and if your own plans could use some organizing, why not use our editors’ vacation essentials as your guide? Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 7 July 2025 That goes against the stereotype that the recipients are lazy or not working or simply want to get free health coverage, Barton Reeves said. Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 3 July 2025 She’s never bought into the stereotype that fat people are lazy or somehow inferior to thinner people. Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 2 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for laziness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laziness
Noun
  • One example of imprudent inertia is sitting on excessive cash instead of investing it.
    Jonathan I. Shenkman, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • When the prince brings boyfriend Dev to meet his royal family, their aristocratic inertia threatens the young love.
    Jillian Steinhauer, New Yorker, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, the rapid rise in prominence of a US military base in western Saudi Arabia that for years sat idle suggests conflict with Iran had been anticipated, The New York Times reported.
    Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 30 June 2025
  • While a growing number of listings sit idle in the United States' housing market, as buyers are kept on the sidelines by sky-high prices and prohibitive borrowing costs, multimillion-dollar homes are still going under contract in some of the most expensive parts of the country.
    Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 June 2025
Adjective
  • The problem isn’t that general providers are careless, but that their systems and staff simply aren’t built for these edge cases.
    Ari Raptis, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
  • When businesses are careless and people get hurt, those businesses should be held accountable.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 3 June 2025
Verb
  • Are you bummed to see Farmhouse Fixer leave the network’s lineup?
    Rebecca Luther, TVLine, 26 June 2025
  • The graduate is not only bummed about the sister’s absence.
    Brian Anthony Hernandez, People.com, 25 May 2025
Adjective
  • Paired with the ensemble of braiders is their unpredictable clientele – a string of characters demonstrating the breadth of the American women filling salon chairs, from party girls to nepo babies and sleepy nurses coming off the night shift.
    Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
  • Even its flavor conjures a deep sleepy forest with woody, spicy and herbaceous notes, and finishes pleasantly bitter.
    Mackensy Lunsford, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Adjective
  • As the story goes, biased or uninformed teachers call a child protection hotline, and out-of-touch caseworkers deem the parents neglectful and remove their children.
    Emily Putnam-Hornstein and Naomi Schaefer Riley, Twin Cities, 13 Apr. 2025
  • In one, which aired in September, 1949, the Goldbergs get a new, neglectful landlord.
    Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
Verb
  • The researchers observed that this particular population of orangutans also build slightly simpler nests for daytime naps, in contrast to other groups which frequently just laze on bare branches.
    Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 25 June 2025
  • The 576-square-foot gem is perfect for wading, doing morning laps, or just lazing alongside with a good book.
    Matthew Monagan, Travel + Leisure, 3 June 2025
Adjective
  • Screening disproportionately detects indolent tumors—those less likely to be lethal in the first place.
    Siddhartha Mukherjee, New Yorker, 16 June 2025
  • Her tumor appears ominous but is, by nature, indolent—slow-growing, noninvasive, never destined to threaten her life.
    Siddhartha Mukherjee, New Yorker, 16 June 2025

Cite this Entry

“Laziness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laziness. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on laziness

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!