lazy 1 of 2

lazy

2 of 2

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 lazy
Adjective
Meanwhile, the room service menu, which blended everything from soups and sandwiches to expansive plates, was a great option for breakfast in bed or a lazy lunch. Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 10 Oct. 2025 The action itself may feel lazy, but the result is trouble-free, straightforward cool. Cortne Bonilla, Vogue, 9 Oct. 2025 Cozy Gifts For lazy Sundays, a cute PJ set is key. Jamie Fischer, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Oct. 2025 Sweats are no longer reserved for lazy Sundays or travel days. Nicol Natale, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for lazy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lazy
Adjective
  • The production of that vehicle could be idle for several weeks, a union leader familiar with the situation told the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network.
    Jamie L. LaReau, USA Today, 20 Oct. 2025
  • General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, in fact, did well to sign Wentz — idle after not being picked up by anyone after last season — the week after training camp came to a close.
    John Shipley, Twin Cities, 19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Additional charges included negligently driving a vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner, endangering property, life, and person, as well as recklessly driving a vehicle in wanton and willful disregard for the safety of persons and property.
    Diane J. Cho, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Young Christoph wrote in the knowledge that Bonhoeffer’s correspondence was being monitored and that a careless word could have fatal consequences.
    Alex Ross, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Democrats’ most visible strategy appears to be trying to bum a few bucks from the grassroots—when the grassroots’ greatest power is in protest, boycott, and other unified mobilization efforts.
    Sarah Stankorb, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Alabama gave Georgia its first home loss in six years with a 24-21 constriction; Oregon rode a pair of Moores (Dante and Dakorien) to bum out Happy Valley in extra time.
    Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Better check behind every bush and tree, because this movie will convince you every sleepy suburb is a slaughterhouse in the making.
    Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 2025
  • In the quiet village of Mount Prospect, nestled just northwest of Chicago’s city limits, residents were sheltering from the cold and rain on a sleepy Sunday afternoon watching TV, scrolling through social media and enjoying midday coffee at home.
    Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • One of the tale’s bitterest ironies is that Victor will become a more demanding, more neglectful, and vastly more destructive father figure than Leopold ever was.
    Justin Chang, New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2025
  • After sharing his story online, commenters expressed sympathy for the boy’s situation, calling his father’s behavior selfish and neglectful.
    Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
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, 27 Sep. 2025
  • Conrad is literally ready to skip his whole Brussels conference in order to laze around in bed with Belly for the next several days, but Belly has cold feet.
    Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 17 Sep. 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
  • 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
Verb
  • The film — part chilling revenge thriller and part absurd slapstick — is riveting.
    Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Shared in October by u/pizzalogdong, the pictures show the gray tabby comfortably chilling inside a carrier, as her kittens are wrapped up in warm blankets by the poster.
    Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Lazy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lazy. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

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