senioritis

American  

[seen-yuh-rahy-tis] / ˌsin yəˈraɪ tɪs /

noun

1. Informal: Facetious. a decline in motivation or academic performance that supposedly afflicts some seniors in high school, especially in their last term.

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Etymology

Origin of senioritis

First recorded in 1955–60; senior ( def. ) + -itis ( def. )

Example Sentences

Uncooperative officials can drag their feet, find excuses, hope you lose interest — or, if you’re a student, hope you come down with a terminal case of senioritis.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 25, 2022

There’s some logic behind this bout of senioritis.

From Slate • May 19, 2021

The charter school, which has five San Diego-area campuses, uses the classes not only to battle senioritis, but to make the last year of high school into something more than just a slack-off waiting period.

From US News • May 11, 2016

This is not senioritis, he says: this is the way all four years have been.

From New York Times • Apr. 14, 2011

At first, it didn’t sound so bad: a couple weeks away from school right as the senioritis started kicking in.

From Washington Post