Lying Flat

American  

[lahy-ing flat] / ˈlaɪ ɪŋ ˈflæt /

noun

1. a social and cultural movement rejecting the overwork otherwise common in a society or typical for an individual and advocating voluntary withdrawal from relentless competition and pressure to achieve.

---

Etymology

Origin of Lying Flat

Lie Flat ( def. )

Example Sentences

A 2011 Newsweek magazine cover stuck with him: It showed a man in a suit, lying flat on the sand as a wave retreated: “Epidemic Alert! The Beached White Male: He Had a Big Job, a Big Office, a Big Bonus. Now He’s All Washed Up and Doesn’t Have a Freakin’ Prayer.”

From The Wall Street Journal

This change in mind-set fits within a broader cultural arc that includes the “Buddha-like” attitude and the “lying flat” movement—rejections of relentless competition in favor of detachment.

From Barron's

In 2024, there was always an electric guitar onstage, lying flat on an equipment case against the back wall; it was both frustrating and tantalizing because he could pick it up at any time, and yet sadly, he did not.

From Salon

After finding a comfortable position, stargazers should set aside half an hour or more for lying flat on their backs while looking upward.

From Salon

Tangping, or “lying flat,” became a ubiquitous term for opting out of the rat race, not unlike the term “quiet quitting” in the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times