shiftlessness

noun

as in inertia
an inclination not to do work or engage in activities with the start of the warm weather, combating the students' shiftlessness was a constant ordeal

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shiftlessness
  1. inertia
  2. laziness
Noun
  • As for whether the report helps prompt change or becomes yet another weighty academic doorstop, that remains to be seen at City Hall, where entrenched political power often combines with bureaucratic inertia to stifle innovation.
    — A.D. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The researchers also focused on reducing the robot’s effective inertia, a property that describes how strongly an object resists changes in its motion.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of inertia
Noun
  • Don’t dismiss that reaction as laziness or lack of discipline.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Many of us chalk it up to laziness, see it as a modern phenomenon and think it simply can't be overcome.
    — Malaka Gharib, NPR, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of laziness
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.

Browse Nearby Words

shiftlessly
shiftlessness
shifts
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Cite this Entry

“Shiftlessness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shiftlessness. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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