laziness

American  

[ley-zee-nis] / ˈleɪ zi nɪs /

noun

1. having or showing an unwillingness to work.

   Many people start the course with a bang, but trail off after a while because of laziness, insufficient curiosity, or lack of motivation.

2. the fact or quality of encouraging idleness.

   We relaxed in the laziness of the warm afternoon, watching as the sun began to set.

3. the fact or quality of being slow-moving or sluggish.

   It was only three miles downstream, but the laziness of the river stretched the raft ride to two hours.

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Etymology

Origin of laziness

lazy ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )

Example Sentences

"It's not laziness, it's the executive dysfunction that makes it difficult... People have trouble focusing their attention and keeping it sustained long enough to complete these tasks," she said.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

The bot boom in academia writ large puts on display the insecurity of students just as much as it does their laziness.

From Slate • Mar. 20, 2026

It’s easy to conflate this with laziness or thoughtlessness.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 30, 2026

“Self-censorship” is what Mr. Hersh calls the flaw in so many news organizations to miss or ignore controversial stories, when what he really means is laziness and cowardice.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 24, 2025

I cursed the laziness of the servants that they should lie abed at such an hour—for it was now ten o’clock—and so rang and knocked again, but more impatiently, but still without response.

From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker

Related Words

• apathy
• inertia
• lethargy
• negligence
• sloth
• weariness