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

Spice blends have never just been for “lazy” cooks, but a new generation is showing how crucial they are to any kitchen During the home-cooking renaissance of the early aughts, “from scratch” was the bar at which every kitchen endeavor was set.

From Eater

Instead of criticizing myself for being lazy and giving into my cravings, I was more proactive about fueling throughout the day to keep my blood sugar stable and switched up harder workouts for yoga, swimming, or a rest day during this phase.

From Outside Online

We relied on the lazy lighting method—covering charcoal in lighter fluid and lighting it with a match—and threw on some burgers once the charcoal was hot.

From Outside Online

Nowadays, social media users can easily spot a brand account that’s lazy with their posts.

From Search Engine Watch

I’m not doing this in the middle of the afternoon because I was too lazy to do it in the morning, but because I am committed to increasing my blood plasma so I can dominate the competition at this year’s Turkey Trot.

From Outside Online

While some may classify that inactivity as laziness or indifference, Brown suggests the contrary.

From The Daily Beast

This is the conspiratorial mind using skepticism as a cloak for intellectual laziness.

From The Daily Beast

People tend to condemn the obese because they believe that “fatness” is evidence of laziness and lack of discipline.

From The Daily Beast

Fatigue, sadness, or psychosis is not about choice or laziness or selfishness.

From The Daily Beast

Next, add the vices of a rentier state: laziness, irresponsibility, a sense of entitlement, and ignorance.

From The Daily Beast

Ease of action need not imply laziness, but simply polite self-possession.

From Project Gutenberg

Doubt arises ordinarily from laziness, weakness, indifference, or incapacity.

From Project Gutenberg

They learn the lesson that happy people are the busy people, and they return home cured of their discontent and laziness.

From Project Gutenberg

There is no ground for an explanation of such errors 207 as these except laziness and grossest illiteracy.

From Project Gutenberg

But it would be unjust and inconsiderate to ascribe this want of productivity to the disposition called laziness.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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