lazy 1 of 2

lazy

2 of 2

verb

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lazy people
unmotivated people
sluggish people
idle people
slothful people
lazy days
sleepy days
a lazy evaluation
a sloppy evaluation
an imprecise evaluation
a poor evaluation
an insufficient evaluation
an inefficient evaluation
a lazy dog
an inactive dog
a sluggish dog
a lethargic dog
an idle dog
a sleepy dog

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
Guests have access to several pools, two hot tubs, a splash pool, a lazy river, and an oceanfront tanning lawn. Lydia Mansel, Southern Living, 19 Feb. 2025 But concerns about authentic language representation and cultural accuracy persist, and accusations of cultural appropriation and lazy research are commonplace. Chris C. Palmer, The Conversation, 18 Feb. 2025 The man’s pretty mouth is curved into a lazy grin, arms crossed over his superb chest. Lizz Schumer, People.com, 13 Feb. 2025 Some have kitchenettes, others provide private beach access, but all get access to the $65 million Harborside Pool Club, complete with a lazy river, kids center, and pair of three-story waterslides. Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 11 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for lazy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lazy
Adjective
  • Robinson believe that the idle tower somehow was re energized at the start of the fire.
    Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2025
  • On the day the city posted signs on Chynoweth, 32 vehicles, including 21 RVs, sat idle on the street.
    Devan Patel, The Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • These research projects, ongoing at UCF, could be among the research hit by the budget ax being wielded by careless hands — part of a nationwide strike against grants funded by the National Institutes of Health.
    Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Boards, Orlando Sentinel, 20 Feb. 2025
  • The program has faced consequences of careless actions even before that, said Benjamin Chevat, executive director at Citizens for Extension of the James Zadroga Act.
    Nancy Cutler, USA TODAY, 19 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Release date, cast, more Queen Latifah, Adrien Brody, Kerry Washington, more stars flock to Thom Browne's NYFW show 'Really bummed out:' Beverly Ortega explains sudden departure from 'The Bachelor' 'The Amazing Race' Season 37 cast Find details on the entire Season 37 cast here.
    Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2025
  • But today’s social media — with its rapid acceleration of AI and other concerns — bums her out.
    Leah Asmelash, CNN, 16 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
Adjective
  • These dream-memories throw us directly into the action with scenes involving mobsters, a neglectful father, and an explosion—all before skipping back to unrelated conversations in modern day.
    Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 23 Feb. 2025
  • Nor is stealth aided by growing evidence of his own neglectful self-care: exhaustion, panic attacks, blackouts, a limp from unattended jogging injuries, eventually audio and visual hallucinations.
    Dennis Harvey, Variety, 14 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Without his glasses, Bear even mistakes Giraffe, lazing in a long, almost fully reclined deck chair, for a snake.
    Barney Saltzberg, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2025
  • And boredom, for a team that occasionally stumbles through late-game offense and lazes its way into too many 3s, can be a killer.
    Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 15 Mar. 2024
Adjective
  • It’s always been a period piece: Its story takes place in the just-post-Kennedy Bronx of Shanley’s childhood, where the rigid Sister Aloysius (Amy Ryan), the principal at St. Nicholas School, vehemently objects to ballpoint pens as one of many insidious gateways to a malign and indolent future.
    Sara Holdren, Vulture, 8 Mar. 2024
  • Bates defeated Marilyn Mosby who was never publicly criticized by Scott for her indolent leadership as Baltimore state’s attorney.
    Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 20 Apr. 2024
Verb
  • In chilling surveillance video shown during the press conference, Torres is seen leaving the Burger Point restaurant on Mill St. in San Bernardino at 11:45 a.m. with a cup of coffee in her hand.
    KC Baker, People.com, 19 Feb. 2025
  • Wind chills as low as 35 below zero were possible for parts of north central Kansas and central, east central, and south central Nebraska.
    Matt Robison, Newsweek, 18 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Lazy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lazy. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.

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