Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective lackadaisical differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of lackadaisical are languid, languorous, listless, and spiritless. While all these words mean "lacking energy or enthusiasm," lackadaisical implies a carefree indifference marked by half-hearted efforts.

lackadaisical college seniors pretending to study

Where would languid be a reasonable alternative to lackadaisical?

The meanings of languid and lackadaisical largely overlap; however, languid refers to an unwillingness or inability to exert oneself due to fatigue or physical weakness.

was depressed and languid for weeks after surgery

In what contexts can languorous take the place of lackadaisical?

Although the words languorous and lackadaisical have much in common, languorous suggests a dreamy boredom and delicacy that avoids unnecessary activity.

languorous cats lying in the sun

When is listless a more appropriate choice than lackadaisical?

While the synonyms listless and lackadaisical are close in meaning, listless suggests a lack of interest caused by physical weakness or dissatisfied boredom.

listless hospital patients
listless children flipping through picture books on a rainy day

When could spiritless be used to replace lackadaisical?

While in some cases nearly identical to lackadaisical, spiritless refers to a lack of animation or vigor that gives one's actions and words life.

a spiritless recital of the poem

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 lackadaisical Performances such as Wednesday’s, where the Bucks are locked in from the start and focused on their goals for a full 48 minutes, are what has made the team’s lackadaisical outings against teams destined for the NBA Draft lottery so disappointing this season. Eric Nehm, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025 Even the current administration has be lackadaisical in the approach. Tribune Content Agency, The Mercury News, 16 Dec. 2024 For centuries Champagne producers set large crops, harvested unripe fruit and bolstered their lackadaisical vineyard efforts by adding copious amounts of sugar (dosage), with uniformity and consistency being the goal. Patrick Comiskey, Los Angeles Times, 26 Dec. 2024 Ryan Williams was lackadaisical, and Milroe threw it right in the view of the defense. Kennington Smith Iii, The Athletic, 25 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for lackadaisical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lackadaisical
Adjective
  • That created a quick and competitive environment that eliminated a lot of the listless play that has plagued All-Star weekend over the past decade.
    Jared Weiss, The Athletic, 15 Feb. 2025
  • Rebecca, the listless protagonist of Katarina Zhu’s feature debut Bunnylovr, wears loneliness like an oversized coat.
    Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • In the skincare world, the best retinol serums are put on a pedestal, touted for their ability to breathe new life into tired, aging skin.
    Denise Primbet, Glamour, 24 Feb. 2025
  • Research has also found long-term exposure can result in anemia, which can leave patients feeling weak and tired; a low white blood cell count, which debilitates the immune system; and a low platelet count, which leads to excessive bleeding and bruising.
    Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Such languorous scenes led one of my friends, a seasoned war reporter, to remark that the film was short on action, and its pace is undeniably slower than the typical war documentary.
    Simon Shuster, TIME, 14 Feb. 2025
  • Steeped in the pleasantly lazy atmosphere of the title setting, the film is languorous, but not long.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 25 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Dance sections lacked charm; lyric passages were spiritless; the klezmer episodes in the third movement were strictly goyish.
    Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
  • Yet the club dropped the contest in spiritless fashion, 6-2.
    Julian McWilliams, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Aug. 2023
Adjective
  • Martin, ever elegant but rarely a wildly expressive actor, could perhaps do with showing a bit more emotional urgency here to sharpen the interplay with Tom, especially in this naturally languid seaside backdrop.
    Nicolas Rapold, Deadline, 16 Feb. 2025
  • But once the action flashes back to a week earlier, the new season slows to an uncharacteristically languid pace.
    Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 11 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Everyone is exhausted and tapped out financially from the holidays and nobody wants to party or buy gifts.
    ​Wendy Wisner, Parents, 17 Feb. 2025
  • The 50-year-old retired cop is thirsty and exhausted, and his attempts to spark a campfire using a ferro rod have failed miserably.
    Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • By late this evening, the winds will be significantly weaker.
    David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2025
  • For example, an experimental receiver aboard the Blue Ghost lander acquired and tracked navigation signals from GPS satellites for the first time in lunar orbit, where these signals are 361 times weaker than on Earth.
    Kristin Shaw, Ars Technica, 27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • At around 270 square miles, Menorca charms travelers with its sleepy villages (like Fornells and Binibeca), history (centuries-old lighthouses and archaeological sites), local wines, and under-the-radar beaches.
    Kathryn Romeyn, AFAR Media, 26 Feb. 2025
  • The story of this estate began when the original owners transported two period buildings from Melbourne to a sleepy farm town along the Murray River.
    Natalie Hoberman, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025

Browse Nearby Entries

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Lackadaisical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lackadaisical. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on lackadaisical

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!