lazy
B1Neutral (Common across informal and formal, though can be pejorative).
Definition
Meaning
Unwilling to work or use energy; characterized by a lack of effort or activity.
Describing a slow-moving or relaxed style; also used to describe something, especially a method or intellectual approach, that avoids exertion or rigour (e.g., lazy writing, a lazy algorithm).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a trait descriptor for people/animals, but can be applied metaphorically to things (ideas, rivers, days). It implies an avoidable or blameworthy inactivity, unlike 'tired' or 'relaxed'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal semantic difference. The adjective is used identically. The verb 'to lazy about/around' is slightly more common in US informal use.
Connotations
Equally pejorative in both when describing a person's character. Can be softened in phrases like 'a lazy Sunday'.
Frequency
Very high frequency in both varieties with no significant divergence.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
be/look/feel/seem lazylazy about (doing) somethingtoo lazy to do somethingVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Lazybones (informal noun)”
- “A lazy Susan (revolving tray)”
- “The road to hell is paved with good intentions (related proverb about inaction)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Often pejorative: 'lazy management', 'lazy marketing'. Can describe unproductive capital ('lazy assets').
Academic
Used critically: 'a lazy argument' (lacking rigour), 'lazy thinking'.
Everyday
Most common: describing people, animals, or pleasant inactivity: 'I'm feeling lazy today.'
Technical
In computing: 'lazy loading/evaluation' (deferring computation until needed).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He spent the weekend lazing in the garden.
American English
- They just lazed around the pool all afternoon.
adverb
British English
- Not standard. Use 'lazily'.
American English
- Not standard. Use 'lazily'.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My cat is very lazy. He sleeps all day.
- I don't want to work today. I feel lazy.
- She was too lazy to cook, so she ordered a pizza.
- We had a lazy Sunday reading the papers.
- The report was criticised for its lazy assumptions and lack of data.
- He lazed away his holiday on a beach in Spain.
- The government's lazy rhetoric fails to address the systemic issues.
- This programming technique uses lazy evaluation to improve efficiency.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a LAZy person lying on a LAwn all dAZY.
Conceptual Metaphor
LAZINESS IS A PHYSICAL BURDEN (weighed down, can't move), LAZINESS IS A SLOW FLUID (oozing, sluggish).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'ленивый' only in the negative sense. 'Lazy river' is a relaxed ride, not a 'ленивая река'. 'Lazy eye' is medical (амблиопия), not a character trait.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'lazy' for temporary tiredness ('I'm lazy' vs. 'I'm tired'). Overusing 'very lazy'; 'incredibly/exceptionally lazy' is more natural for emphasis.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'lazy' used in a positive or neutral technical sense?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. While often pejorative for people, it can describe pleasant relaxation ('a lazy holiday') or be a technical term ('lazy loading').
'Idle' is more neutral, often describing a state of inactivity. 'Lazy' implies a habitual disposition or character flaw causing that inactivity.
Yes, informally. 'To lazy about/around' means to spend time relaxing or doing very little.
It's a common non-medical term for amblyopia, a condition where vision in one eye does not develop properly.
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