laze
C1Informal, occasionally humorous
Definition
Meaning
To spend time in a relaxed, idle way; to be pleasantly lazy.
To act or move in a slow, relaxed, and idle manner, often with a connotation of enjoyment or indulgence rather than sloth. Can also refer to the state of being in such a relaxed inactivity.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a verb. It implies a conscious choice to relax and enjoy idleness, often in contrast to work or obligation. It is generally positive or neutral, not pejorative like 'laziness' can be.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. Both varieties use the word identically.
Connotations
Slightly more common in British English as a casual, descriptive term. In American English, 'hang out', 'chill', or 'relax' might be more frequent in everyday speech.
Frequency
Low frequency in both, but slightly higher in UK corpora. Considered a colourful, specific verb rather than a core vocabulary item.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
laze + (adverb/prepositional phrase)laze + the + time period + awaylaze + about/aroundVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “laze the day away”
- “laze about like a cat in the sun”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Very rare. Would be used humorously or metaphorically, e.g., 'The department seems to be lazing through Q4.'
Academic
Extremely rare. Not used in formal academic prose.
Everyday
Common in informal conversation to describe leisurely time, especially on holidays or weekends.
Technical
Not used.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- We planned to just laze about in the garden all Bank Holiday.
- He's been lazing in his room since breakfast.
- I'm going to laze the afternoon away with a good book.
American English
- Let's just laze by the pool for a few hours.
- She lazed on the couch watching movies all weekend.
- We lazed away our vacation at the beach house.
adverb
British English
- He spent the morning lying laze in the hammock.
American English
- She stretched out laze on the patio chair.
adjective
British English
- A laze day by the seaside is just what I need.
American English
- It was a perfectly laze Sunday morning.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I like to laze in bed on Saturday.
- The cat lazes in the sun every afternoon.
- We spent the day lazing on the beach.
- After the exam, I intend to laze around for a full week without opening a book.
- They lazed the holiday away, doing absolutely nothing productive.
- The whole resort was designed for guests to laze in sybaritic luxury, waited on hand and foot.
- He dismissed the week not as wasted time, but as a necessary period to laze and recharge his creative batteries.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a 'LAZY' person. Remove the 'Y' and you get 'LAZE' – the action of being lazy.
Conceptual Metaphor
INACTIVITY IS A FLUID STATE (e.g., laze around, lounge about), PLEASURE IS WARMTH (e.g., laze in the sun).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'лениться' (to be lazy), which is more general and often negative. 'Laze' is a specific, temporary, and often enjoyable activity. A closer phrase is 'бездельничать', but even that lacks the positive connotation of choice and pleasure.
Common Mistakes
- Using it as a noun (e.g., 'I had a laze' – possible but very informal/colloquial; standard is 'I lazed'). Overusing it in formal contexts.
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'laze' CORRECTLY?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not usually. It describes enjoyable, relaxed idleness, often by choice. It is less negative than 'lazy'.
Rarely and only in very informal contexts (e.g., 'I had a good laze'). The primary and standard use is as a verb.
'Relax' is broader and more neutral. 'Laze' specifically implies idle, inactive relaxation, often with a sense of passing time pleasurably without purpose.
Yes, etymologically. 'Laze' is a back-formation from the adjective 'lazy', created in the 16th century to mean 'to act in a lazy manner'.