English Explanatory Dictionary

lazy

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Unwilling to do work or make an effort; disinclined to exertion.
  2. Causing or characterised by idleness; relaxed or leisurely.
  3. Showing a lack of effort or care.
  4. Sluggish; slow-moving.
  5. Lax:
  6. Droopy.
  7. Of an eye, squinting because of a weakness of the eye muscles.
  8. Turned so that (the letter) is horizontal instead of vertical.
  9. Employing lazy evaluation; not calculating results until they are immediately required.
  10. Wicked; vicious.
verb
  1. To laze, act in a lazy manner.
noun
  1. A lazy person.
  2. Sloth (animal).

Pronunciation

/ˈleɪ̯zi(ː)/ [ˈleɪ̯zɪi̯] en-us-lazy.ogg /ˈlæɪziː/ [ˈlæ̝ɪ̯zɪi̯]

Word forms

lazy lazier laziest lazies lazying lazied

Etymology

Attested since 1540, origin uncertain. Probably from Low German and Middle Low German lasich (“slack, feeble, lazy”), from las, from Old Saxon lask, from Proto-Germanic *lasiwaz, *laskaz (“feeble, weak”), from Proto-Indo-European *las- (“weak”). Akin to Dutch leuzig (“lazy”), Old Norse lasinn (“limpy, tired, weak”), Old English lesu, lysu (“false, evil, base”). More at lush. An alternative etymology traces lazy to Early Modern English laysy, a derivative of lay (plural lays + -y) in the same way that tipsy is derived from tip. See lay.

Synonyms

fainéant inert lackadaisical lazy lither otiose sluggish swear torpid bone-idle idle indolent slothful work-shy

Antonyms

active diligent industrious

Related words

laziness idler doer slow shirk

Derived words

laze lazily laziness lazy 8 lazy-arse lazy as Ludlam's dog lazy ass lazy-ass lazyback lazy battery effect lazy-bed lazy bed lazy bones lazybones lazyboots lazyboy lazybutt lazy daisy lazy dog lazy dog bomb lazy eight lazy evaluation lazy eye lazy girl job lazy initialisation lazy initialization lazyish lazyitis lazy jack lazy jacks lazy Kate lazy Laurence lazy Lawrence lazyload lazy load lazy lobster lazy louse lazy man's load lazy painter lazy pierogi lazy pinion lazy river lazy S lazy susan lazy susans lazy tongs lazyweb nonlazy the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog unlazy
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