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
  • At this moment, complete inertia, helplessness, or escape seemed to be the only ways to react, but Zionism offered a strategy for coping with the changing circumstances, a strategy that had begun with Theodor Herzl.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026
  • While the world security situation transforms at breakneck speed, the shipping industry, along with the maritime regulators and economic policymakers that back the merchant marine seem stuck, trapped in age-old bureaucratic inertia.
    — Craig Hooper, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of inertia
Noun
  • And his laziness has long outstripped his loyalty to the queen.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2026
  • From the outside, and often from the inside too, this looks like laziness — proof that the person just isn’t trying.
    — Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 27 July 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 17 Aug. 2026.

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