as in lazy
not easily aroused to action or work
shiftless spongers who never thought to do anything for themselves
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of shiftless
Scott Rozelle and Matthew Boswell, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2022
After the volunteers slink back to Paddy’s, the most shiftless person on campus will once again be Principal Coleman (Janelle James), whose ineptitude and vanity don’t prevent her from advocating for the students from time to time.
—Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 9 Jan. 2025
Just as Let’s Start Here tapped the Yves Tumor and Caroline Polachek regulars Justin Raisen and Patrick Wimberly to steer its lysergic pop, Bad Cameo solicits heady, shiftless synthesizer compositions to showcase different dimensions in Lil Yachty’s voice.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 3 July 2024
Gill’s benevolent steadfastness is supported by his loving, tolerant wife (Shailene Woodley) but mocked by his shiftless brother (a very funny Pete Davidson), who urges him to cash in.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2023
The filmmaker wrote, directed, shot, edited, and starred in this essentially plotless Super 16 slice-of-life about a shiftless Austin dude who couch surfs across the state.
—A.a. Dowd, Chron, 4 Apr. 2023
But eventually the smart lower class people will have descendants who are in the upper class, while the shiftless upper class individuals of earlier generations will have descendants who move down the class hierarchy after exhausting their inheritances.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 24 June 2012
Their anger focused on a faceless government that neglected people like them and on supposedly shiftless immigrants and minorities who feasted at the public trough.
—Helen Epstein, The New York Review of Books, 10 Mar. 2020
Stereotypes of unemployed, shiftless man-children playing X-Box in their parents’ basement aren’t really borne out by the data.
—Matt Levin, The Mercury News, 27 Aug. 2019
Adjective
Expectations of real gains in livelihoods among China’s large, increasingly shiftless rural population will be much harder to fulfill in an era of slower growth.
—Scott Rozelle and Matthew Boswell, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2022
After the volunteers slink back to Paddy’s, the most shiftless person on campus will once again be Principal Coleman (Janelle James), whose ineptitude and vanity don’t prevent her from advocating for the students from time to time.
—Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 9 Jan. 2025
Just as Let’s Start Here tapped the Yves Tumor and Caroline Polachek regulars Justin Raisen and Patrick Wimberly to steer its lysergic pop, Bad Cameo solicits heady, shiftless synthesizer compositions to showcase different dimensions in Lil Yachty’s voice.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 3 July 2024
Gill’s benevolent steadfastness is supported by his loving, tolerant wife (Shailene Woodley) but mocked by his shiftless brother (a very funny Pete Davidson), who urges him to cash in.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2023
The filmmaker wrote, directed, shot, edited, and starred in this essentially plotless Super 16 slice-of-life about a shiftless Austin dude who couch surfs across the state.
—A.a. Dowd, Chron, 4 Apr. 2023
But eventually the smart lower class people will have descendants who are in the upper class, while the shiftless upper class individuals of earlier generations will have descendants who move down the class hierarchy after exhausting their inheritances.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 24 June 2012
Their anger focused on a faceless government that neglected people like them and on supposedly shiftless immigrants and minorities who feasted at the public trough.
—Helen Epstein, The New York Review of Books, 10 Mar. 2020
Stereotypes of unemployed, shiftless man-children playing X-Box in their parents’ basement aren’t really borne out by the data.
—Matt Levin, The Mercury News, 27 Aug. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shiftless
Adjective
-
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
-
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
Noun
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For all of India’s strides, bureaucratic inertia and corruption often stifle innovation and enterprise.—
Robert C. Wolcott,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
-
The power of inertia and fear of a high-risk nominee kept Democrats from confronting Biden far more than any scheme by his family or palace guard.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
23 May 2025
Adjective
-
So, out of the $403 million payroll, $93.75 million worth of pitchers are idle (not counting Ohtani).—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
22 May 2025
-
Built for Efficiency: Save Smarter, Live Freer The Apex 300 leads the class in power efficiency, sipping just 20W in idle mode—ideal for stretching backup runtime.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
20 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shiftless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shiftless. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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