Synonyms: Lazy

From casually relaxed to downright lazy, these words describe various kinds of doing nothing. For more synonym lists, explore our Say What You Mean resources.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. dawdle
    hang or fall in movement, progress, development, etc.
    “From 9:30 to 10:30 we dawdle and delay. “ The Phantom Tollbooth
    If you spend 20 minutes looking at your phone instead of getting ready for school, that's dawdling.
  2. dilatory
    wasting time
    King George was in a fury over the dilatory, cautious behavior of his general. Johnny Tremain
  3. idle
    not in action or at work
    His men were idle and dishonest, the fields were full of weeds, the buildings wanted roofing, the hedges were neglected, and the animals were underfed. Animal Farm: A Fairy Story
    If you idle your car, you leave the engine running while it's parked. If you're idle, you're not doing anything at all.
  4. indolent
    disinclined to work or exertion
    My MST classmates are so indolent, they wouldn’t read the book for homework, so the teacher is making us read it aloud to shame us. Please Ignore Vera Dietz
  5. inert
    unable to move or resist motion
    Sometimes he stayed there, fully clothed and inert, for twelve or thirteen hours. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
    To be inert is to be motionless, stuck, or unresponsive. Inert gases — the so-called "noble gases" on the Periodic Table — don't react with any other elements. Inertem means "inactive" or "sluggish" in Latin.
  6. lackadaisical
    idle or indolent especially in a dreamy way
    My eighth-grade daughter is supposed to be responsible for sweeping and scooping litter but does a terrible, lackadaisical job. Washington Post (Feb 6, 2019)
  7. laggard
    someone who takes more time than necessary
    And Germany, long a laggard in adopting electric vehicles, saw more people buy electrics in December than opted for previously dominant diesel vehicles. Seattle Times (Jan 12, 2021)
    If you lag behind your friends on a walk, you're a laggard.
  8. languid
    lacking spirit or liveliness
    But on a beautiful late afternoon, the band sounds unusually languid. Chicago Tribune (Aug 7, 2011)
    Languid is a relaxed, laid back kind of laziness.
  9. leisurely
    not hurried or forced
    Away from the office, Barack and I talked endlessly, over leisurely walks around Hyde Park dressed in shorts and T-shirts and meals that seemed short to us but in reality went on for hours. Becoming
  10. lethargic
    deficient in alertness or activity
    The sea moved in a lethargic way, as if already exhausted by the oncoming heat. Life of Pi
    Lethargic is lazy, sleepy, and slow. It comes from the Greek words lethe, "forgetfulness," and argos, "not working."
  11. loiter
    linger, remain, or wait around for no apparent reason
    Although I knew it was risky, I loitered as close to the gates as possible, waiting for a moment when I might be able to dart through them. The Boy on the Wooden Box
    Loitering is a fancy way of saying "hanging around, not doing anything." It originated in the Dutch leuteren, meaning "to shake" or "to flap," like a loose sail with no wind.
  12. slothful
    disinclined to work or exertion
    Your lads are slothful, and are idling in the streets. Zweig, Stefan
    Sloths are famous for moving slowly.
  13. sluggish
    moving slowly
    But even Finn seemed weighted down, his steps sluggish. The Strangers
    So are slugs.
  14. stagnant
    not growing or changing; without force or vitality
    Dragonflies skated over the scum on the stagnant backwater. A Long Way from Chicago
    Stagnant water usually smells bad and is full of mosquito larvae.
  15. torpid
    in a condition of biological rest or suspended animation
    Despite the cool, exciting air of the July evening, he seemed apathetic and torpid. Watership Down: A Novel
    To be torpid is to be dormant, motionless, or asleep.
Created on Fri Feb 19 12:22:10 EST 2021 (updated Mon Mar 22 17:41:42 EDT 2021)

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