laziness

[ley-zee-nis]

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of laziness¹

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

Example Sentences

This delightful compilation suggests that even those in the world of architecture have been leaning on Vitruvius for knowledge about the Roman architectural world through some combination of ignorance and laziness.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

But Izumi also has raised the alarm that pervasive AI use could counteract the benefits of homework by enabling cut-and-paste laziness.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

It points to the laziness and complacency that emerges in the late stages of a bull market, when investors start casting caution to the wind.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“I think I’m going back to the one-at-a-time thing, more out of laziness than anything else. I can only handle one at a time.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

She always thought her conditions were born out of laziness, but then an interview with BBC Radio Tees changed her life.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

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