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

His lines are lazy, woozy, all-forgiving reportage about the seasons’ slow parade, the meandering ongoingness of our world: arrival, decay and the modest glory in between.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

Within the monument, we rambled along Soda Lake Road, admiring windmills, an old ranch house now reserved for bats, and a few hills dotted with lazy cows.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

"Video content is mental stimulation for senior dogs and for lazy dogs, because if they aren't being physical often they still need to exercise their mind," adds Lubeach.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 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

“Nhamo! You lazy girl! It’s your turn to pound the mealies,” called the voice.

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer

Related Words

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