laziness
B2Neutral to slightly informal; acceptable in formal contexts when discussing character or behaviour.
Definition
Meaning
The state of being unwilling to work or use energy; indolence.
In computing, a design principle (lazy evaluation) where actions are deferred until necessary. In contexts beyond character, it can describe a general quality of sluggishness or inactivity in systems, animals, or phenomena.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a negative trait in people. Can be used humorously or affectionately in mild contexts (e.g., 'Sunday morning laziness'). The computing term is technical and positive, denoting efficiency.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences. Spelling is consistent.
Connotations
Identical negative connotation for personal character. The computing term is equally technical in both varieties.
Frequency
Comparably common. Slightly more frequent in informal US speech as a mild critique (e.g., 'That's just laziness').
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
laziness of [noun phrase] (e.g., laziness of the staff)laziness in [gerund/noun] (e.g., laziness in completing tasks)[verb] out of laziness (e.g., skipped it out of laziness)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Idleness is the root of all evil (proverb related to concept)”
- “A lazybones (colloquial for a lazy person)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Critiqued in employee reviews: 'The project delays stem from pure laziness, not a lack of resources.'
Academic
Discussed in psychology/sociology: 'The study correlates perceived laziness with underlying motivational deficits.'
Everyday
Common critique or joke: 'Leaving the dishes in the sink is just laziness.'
Technical
Computer science: 'Lazy evaluation improves performance by employing strategic laziness in computation.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- (None – 'laziness' is a noun. The related verb is 'laze': 'He lazed about all weekend.')
American English
- (None – 'laziness' is a noun. The related verb is 'laze': 'He's been lazing around the house.')
adverb
British English
- (Related adverb: lazily) 'The cat stretched lazily in the sunbeam.'
American English
- (Related adverb: lazily) 'He waved lazily from the hammock.'
adjective
British English
- (Related adjective: lazy) 'It was a lazy afternoon by the river.'
American English
- (Related adjective: lazy) 'We took a lazy drive down the coast.'
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Laziness is not good for work.
- I don't like laziness.
- His laziness caused him to fail the course.
- Sometimes, laziness on a Sunday is nice.
- The manager attributed the team's poor performance to collective mental laziness.
- She fought against her own laziness and went for a run.
- The novel explores the moral decay that springs from intellectual laziness and comfort.
- Critics accused the government of policy laziness, merely rehashing old solutions.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a lazy lion (sounds like 'laziness') sleeping all day in the sun, showing no desire to move or hunt.
Conceptual Metaphor
LAZINESS IS A HEAVY BURDEN / A FORCE OF NATURE (e.g., 'A wave of laziness overcame him', 'Weighed down by laziness').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation of 'лень' in all contexts; 'laziness' is the noun for the quality, while 'лень' can function as a predicate ('мне лень'). English requires a structure like 'I can't be bothered' or 'I feel too lazy'.
- The Russian word 'ленивый' translates to 'lazy' (adjective), not directly to 'laziness'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'lazyness' (incorrect spelling – correct is 'laziness').
- Confusing 'laziness' (noun) with 'lazy' (adjective) syntactically, e.g., 'His main fault is lazy.' (Incorrect; should be '...is laziness' or '...is that he is lazy.')
Practice
Quiz
In computer science, 'laziness' is:
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Primarily yes, when describing people's character or behaviour. However, it can be used neutrally or positively in technical contexts (e.g., lazy evaluation in programming) or humorously/affectionately in casual speech ('I'm enjoying some well-deserved laziness').
Laziness is a general state of unwillingness to exert effort. Procrastination is the specific action of delaying or postponing tasks. One can procrastinate due to perfectionism or fear, not necessarily laziness. Laziness is a broader character trait, while procrastination is a behaviour.
No. 'Laziness' is solely a noun. The corresponding adjective is 'lazy' (e.g., a lazy person).
Not a common fixed idiom, but the concept is central to proverbs like 'Idleness is the root of all evil' or 'The devil finds work for idle hands'. The word itself appears in phrases like 'sheer laziness' or 'chronic laziness'.