laziness 1 of 3

lazy

2 of 3

adjective

lazy

3 of 3

verb

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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
Lee Summit has the R-7 Aquatic Center for lap swimmers and Summit Waves for water slides, lazy rivers, and more. Zuri Primos, Kansas City Star, 21 May 2025 RuPaul wants a Drag Superstar, not an ordinary girl who gets lazy and gets bored. Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 23 May 2025 Jack Sparks, aquatics director for the city, said Black Bob Bay’s water park typically draws the biggest crowds with its lazy river, rock wall and high dive. Beth Lipoff, Kansas City Star, 23 May 2025 Some argued that this is standard gentle parenting, while others believed that parents are too lazy to follow through with demands. Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for laziness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laziness
Noun
  • The second use case — using stablecoins as a means of payment — is less advanced, largely due to regulatory inertia.
    Georgii Verbitskii, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
  • The global economy moves with inertia, so immediate dramatic change is only part of an uncertain timeframe.
    T. Nelson Thompson, Baltimore Sun, 3 June 2025
Adjective
  • In a busy warehouse, for instance, human workers and multiple robots performing different tasks—often from different vendors—need a unified system that ensures smooth collaboration, avoiding collisions and idle time.
    Florian Pestoni, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
  • The result is that homes are sitting idle on the market, forcing sellers to offer price cuts to lure in buyers.
    Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025
Adjective
  • State troopers cited the truck driver who caused the crash, a 57-year-old Texas man, for careless driving causing injury, according to the agency.
    Katie Langford, Denver Post, 7 June 2025
  • Edmund Richard Hartley, 32, the alleged operator of the vessel towing Ella, has been charged with four misdemeanors for careless operation of a vessel, the commission said.
    Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 3 June 2025
Verb
  • The graduate is not only bummed about the sister’s absence.
    Brian Anthony Hernandez, People.com, 25 May 2025
  • Everyone — from those actually paying to the ones still bumming a log-in — wants to know how Netflix and other streaming services’ crackdowns on password sharing affect them.
    Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 20 May 2025
Adjective
  • The queen, who is currently competing on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, is near-singlehandedly turning the All Stars franchise from a sleepy series to a must-watch by playing the game strategically and having fun doing it.
    Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 30 May 2025
  • Ultimately, what was once a sleepy and steady sector of the US economy is starting to become much more dynamic.
    Steven Dudash, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
Adjective
  • Attendees will learn about what constitutes neglect, abuse and exploitation of older adults and adults with disabilities, as well as how to report an abusive or neglectful situation.
    Melinda Moore, Chicago Tribune, 21 May 2025
  • Disorganized behavior: Mary/Jone refuses to eat with her/his family or have a bath, which may reflect disorganized or neglectful behavior.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • And if that interest is lazing by the beach, transfers to local beach clubs will be offered as well.
    Laurie Werner, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
  • As the dog lazed in the dirt in Shelby Park, one guardsman ruminated about new missions to alleviate the boredom.
    Jack Healy, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • With the use of additional biomarkers and prostate MRI, the diagnosis of men with prostate cancer is more precise and avoids the detection of low-risk indolent prostate cancer and rather focuses on the early detection and effective treatment of more clinically risky prostate cancer.
    Franklin D Gaylis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 May 2025
  • Also, small, indolent prostate cancer is extremely common as men age, but rarely advances to serious disease.
    Arthur L. Kellermann, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025

Cite this Entry

“Laziness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laziness. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.

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