lazio
B1Neutral to informal; can be pejorative.
Definition
Meaning
Unwilling to work or use energy; characterized by a lack of effort.
Proceeding in a slow-moving, sluggish manner; designed to promote idleness or minimal effort.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Often implies blameworthiness or a character flaw; can also be used affectionately or humorously. In computing contexts (e.g., lazy loading), it means deferring operations to save resources.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in core meaning. Collocation preferences may vary slightly (e.g., 'lazy Sunday' common in both, 'lazy river' as a water attraction more common in AmE).
Connotations
Similar negative and affectionate connotations in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally common and familiar.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[to be] lazy[to be] lazy about (doing) something[to be] too lazy to (do something)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “a lazy river”
- “lazy Susan”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Negative: 'a lazy approach to customer service'.
Academic
Used in psychology/sociology to discuss motivation. In computing: 'lazy evaluation'.
Everyday
Commonly used to describe people, animals, or relaxed periods: 'I'm feeling lazy today.'
Technical
In programming: 'lazy loading' delays initialization of objects.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- We lazed about in the garden all afternoon.
- He's good at lazing around.
American English
- We're just going to lazy around the house today.
- He lazed by the pool for hours.
adverb
British English
- The cat stretched lazily in the sun.
- He waved lazily from his hammock.
American English
- She smiled lazily at the compliment.
- The river flowed lazily through the valley.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My cat is very lazy.
- Don't be lazy, clean your room!
- It was a lazy summer holiday.
- I feel too lazy to cook tonight.
- He was accused of taking a lazy approach to his studies.
- The software uses lazy loading to improve performance.
- Her argument was disappointingly lazy, relying on clichés rather than data.
- The critic condemned the film's lazy storytelling and predictable plot.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a HAZY day; on a hazy day, the air feels heavy and you don't want to move – you feel LAZY.
Conceptual Metaphor
LAZINESS IS A HEAVY BURDEN / LAZINESS IS A PHYSICAL DISABILITY ('paralyzed by laziness').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation of 'lenivy' when context is neutral/positive. English 'lazy' is more often negative. For a relaxed day, 'chilled' or 'relaxing' might be better.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'lazy' as a verb (e.g., 'I lazed around' is correct; 'I lazy' is not). Confusing 'lazy' with 'tired' (lazy = unwilling, tired = lacking energy).
Practice
Quiz
Which of these is a technical use of 'lazy'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Mostly, but it can be affectionate ('my lazy cat') or describe a pleasantly relaxed state ('a lazy Sunday'). Context is key.
'Lazy' implies a character trait of avoiding work, while 'idle' can be neutral, describing a temporary state of inactivity without the negative judgement.
It's a medical condition (amblyopia) where one eye has reduced vision because it and the brain aren't working together properly.
Yes. In programming, 'lazy' techniques (e.g., lazy loading) are positive, smart optimizations that conserve resources by deferring work until necessary.