lazy
Americanadjective
-
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
-
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.
-
slow-moving; sluggish.
a lazy stream.
- Antonyms:
- quick
-
Computers. of or relating to an operator or quantifier in a search query that will return the smallest match result possible.
-
(of a livestock brand) placed on its side instead of upright.
verb (used without object)
adjective
-
not inclined to work or exertion
-
conducive to or causing indolence
-
moving in a languid or sluggish manner
a lazy river
-
(of a brand letter or mark on livestock) shown as lying on its side
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”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The commentariat’s bleak verdict depends on lazy readings of recent history.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
You might call it lazy if Coppola didn’t operate with so much assurance.
From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026
Beforehand, Salfordian frontman Shaun Ryder told BBC News it was "brilliant that those lazy bastards from London have decided to get off their bums and come up north for an hour or two".
From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026
But it’s easier than ever for a student to get lazy.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 14, 2026
Anthony called Stone “Saint Lucy” and criticized her as lazy, because she didn’t like to work on petition drives.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
