lazy

American  

[ley-zee] / ˈleɪ zi /

adjective

lazier, laziest

1. tending to avoid work, activity, or exertion.

   She was too lazy to take out the trash, so it just continued to pile up.

   Synonyms:

   slothful

   Antonyms:

   industrious

2. causing or characterized by idleness or inactivity.

   It was a hot, lazy afternoon.

   I’m having a lazy day today, just lounging and watching movies.

3. slow-moving; sluggish.

   a lazy stream.

   Synonyms:

   torpid, stagnant, inert

   Antonyms:

   quick

4. Computers. of or relating to an operator or quantifier in a search query that will return the smallest match result possible.

5. (of a livestock brand) placed on its side instead of upright.

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verb (used without object)

lazied, lazying

1. to pass time in idleness or inactivity; laze.

   They spent the afternoon lazying about on the beach.

lazy British  

/ ˈleɪzɪ /

adjective

1. not inclined to work or exertion

2. conducive to or causing indolence

3. moving in a languid or sluggish manner

   a lazy river

4. (of a brand letter or mark on livestock) shown as lying on its side

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Related Words

See idle.

Other Word Forms

• lazily adverb
• laziness noun
• lazyish adjective

Etymology

Origin of lazy

First recorded in 1540–50; compare Low German lasich “languid, idle”

Explanation

While lazy actually means being averse to work or avoiding it, it can also be used to describe something slow-moving or unenergetic, like when you stroll down the garden path with a lazy gait, not in a hurry to get anywhere. The adjective lazy is thought to come from the Low German lasich, meaning "idle or languid." You were offended at being called lazy, but you just didn't have the energy to defend yourself. After all, who doesn't enjoy a lazy Sunday afternoon? Former President of Poland Lech Walesa once considered the benefits of being lazy when he said, “It's the lazy people who invented the wheel and the bicycle because they didn't like walking or carrying things."

Example Sentences

I liked it and was impatient with it in equal measure, the way a teacher feels about a lazy, gifted child.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

Taylor Hughes from Wrexham says hiding poo bags in Hadrian's Wall is "just lazy".

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

This makes it a welcome passenger on lazy day trips or late-night drives, and a generally acceptable ambient addition to crowded good times.

From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026

You might call it lazy if Coppola didn’t operate with so much assurance.

From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026

But if that man loses his cows because he doesn’t care for them properly, or is too lazy to take them to better pastures, no one will pay attention.

From "Facing the Lion" by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton and Herman Viola

Related Words

• apathetic
• careless
• dull
• inattentive
• indifferent
• lackadaisical
• lethargic
• passive
• sleepy
• tired
• weary