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
View gallery - 3 images To keep solar power stations from getting lazy, Sandia National Laboratories scientist John Sandusky is looking to give heliostat mirrors a side hustle. David Szondy august 03, New Atlas, 3 Aug. 2025 Republicans have a talking point on that: There are some lazy guys who should be getting jobs and that would cover their health care. David Weigel, semafor.com, 1 Aug. 2025 Plus, if the waves are your favorite part, water parks offer wave pools, along with other attractions like thrilling waterslides, raft rides, lazy rivers and more. Charlie Vargas, Oc Register, 31 July 2025 Elsewhere, the property includes a 475-foot-long lazy river with waterfalls that leads into the Grotto, a secluded hot tub area with jacuzzi jets and champagne service at the push of a button. Lauren Mowery, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for laziness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laziness
Noun
  • By adopting agile practices, piloting with key teams and scaling gradually, companies can overcome inertia and roll out effective programs.
    Sagi Eliyahu, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
  • Its spinning machinery adds natural inertia to the grid.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The error can cause the daytime running lights may dim unexpectedly when the idle start-stop feature cycles the engine from off to on.
    James Powel, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2025
  • But when that noise quiets, the brain doesn’t just go idle.
    Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The 24-year-old man was charged with involuntary manslaughter, careless discharge causing death and a separate firearm charge, officials say.
    Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 4 Aug. 2025
  • The plea deal dropped an additional charge of careless driving resulting in death from his case, court records show.
    Katie Langford, Denver Post, 2 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Sandler, because of that punim of his, is good at playing bummed, but this scene demanded more shading — anger, charm, cockiness.
    Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 30 July 2025
  • But, yeah, I was bummed to kind of put the team in that spot.
    Doug Padilla, Oc Register, 25 July 2025
Adjective
  • The goal is to evolve The Really Useful Group from a sleepy theater company into an entertainment powerhouse with a hand in everything from gaming to movies to consumer products.
    Brent Lang, Variety, 13 Aug. 2025
  • By the time morning arrives in the sleepy hamlet of Maybrook, Pennsylvania only one student, Alexy Lilly (Cary Christopher) remains.
    Josh Weiss, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • One of the children was discovered in a neglectful condition in August, according to court records.
    Bailey Richards, People.com, 15 June 2025
  • Hinchliffe Stadium originally opened in 1932 and hosted the Negro Leagues’ New York Black Yankees and the American Soccer League’s New Jersey Eagles in the late 1980s before shuttering in 1996 after many neglectful years without maintenance and upkeep.
    Jeff Rueter, New York Times, 10 July 2025
Verb
  • Just this week in Overland Park, foxes have been spotted sitting on driveways in the early hours of the morning and lazing about in lush backyards in the afternoon.
    Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 16 July 2025
  • These increasingly crazed visitors spend their days lazing on the shore, drinking and eating, carousing with prostitutes, and abusing Rosa (played by B-movie actress Leonora Fani, who would also star in the equally notorious vacation film Giallo in Venice) for their own entertainment.
    Erik Morse, Vogue, 26 June 2025
Adjective
  • Sixty-five-year-old Jep Gambardella, indolent and disenchanted, his eyes permanently imbued with gin and tonic, watches this parade of hollow, doomed, powerful yet depressed humanity.
    Leo Barraclough, Variety, 4 Aug. 2025
  • Screening disproportionately detects indolent tumors—those less likely to be lethal in the first place.
    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 21 Aug. 2025.

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