INDEX:
1. lazy
2. a lazy person
3. to behave in a lazy way
RELATED WORDS
opposite
↑ WORK HARD
see also
↑ CARELESS
◆◆◆
1. lazy
▷ lazy /ˈleɪzi/ [adjective]
someone who is lazy does not like work or physical activity, and tries to avoid it :
▪ Marian didn’t do well at school. She was intelligent, but very lazy.
▪ Get up, you lazy thing! It’s nearly lunchtime.
a lazy day/week etc
a time when you relax and do not work hard
▪ We spent a lazy afternoon at the beach.
▪ The lazy days of summer are finally here.
laziness [uncountable noun]
being lazy :
▪ His bad exam results were due to laziness and nothing else.
▪ Mark thinks that the welfare system encourages laziness.
lazily [adverb]
▪ It was great to spend my day off lying lazily by the swimming pool.
▷ idle /ˈaɪdl/ [adjective]
someone who is idle is lazy and does not do enough work -- used to show strong disapproval :
▪ Wake up that idle young brother of yours and tell him it’s time for school!
the idle rich
rich people who do not have to work to earn money
▪ Painting is a favorite hobby of the idle rich.
bone idle
British very lazy
▪ That husband of hers is bone idle. No wonder the house is such a mess.
idleness [uncountable noun]
▪ Her third son chose to live at home in idleness rather than follow a profession.
▷ can’t be bothered/couldn’t be bothered /ˌkɑːnt biː ˈbɒðəʳd, ˌkʊdnt biː ˈbɒðəʳdǁˌkænt biː ˈbɑː-/ [verb phrase] British spoken
if you say that you can’t be bothered to do something, you mean that you have decided not to do it because it is not interesting to you and you are feeling too lazy :
▪ When I asked her to help me she said that she couldn’t be bothered.
can’t be bothered to do something
▪ My hairdresser says I should use a hairdryer to dry my hair, but I can’t be bothered to do it every day.
▪ They complain so much about the government, but they can’t be bothered to vote.
2. a lazy person
▷ lazybones /ˈleɪzibəʊnz/ [singular noun] spoken informal
a lazy person - use this especially when talking to someone that you like :
▪ Hey, lazybones, how long are you planning on staying in bed?
▷ couch potato /ˈkaʊtʃ pəˌteɪtəʊ/ [countable noun] informal
someone who spends a lot of time sitting and watching television :
▪ ‘I was a complete couch potato,’ Lewis said, ‘I didn’t even like walking to the store.’
▪ Mitchell is a self-described ‘couch potato’.
▷ layabout /ˈleɪəbaʊt/ [countable noun] British informal
a lazy person who avoids work or responsibility :
▪ How did you get mixed up with that layabout?
▪ a bunch of hopeless layabouts
▷ skiver /ˈskaɪvəʳ/ [countable noun] British informal
someone who is lazy and does not go to school, work etc :
▪ I always thought Clive was a bit of a skiver.
3. to behave in a lazy way
▷ sit/lounge/laze around /ˌsɪt, ˌlaʊndʒ, ˌleɪz əˈraʊnd/ [intransitive phrasal verb] informal
to spend time sitting and relaxing and not doing any work :
▪ We lazed around on the beach most of the day.
▪ Why not finish your homework, instead of just sitting around doing nothing?
▪ It’s a perfect place to lounge around -- hot sunshine and free drinks.
▷ shirk /ʃɜːʳk/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to deliberately avoid your work or your responsibilities because you are lazy, in a way that makes people not have respect for you :
▪ We don’t want anyone shirking round here -- everyone is expected to earn their pay.
shirk your duties/responsibilities
▪ Our father never shirked his responsibilities.
▪ John doesn’t want to go to war, but he won’t shirk his duty.
shirker [countable noun]
▪ It’s amazing he hasn’t been fired -- everyone knows what a shirker he is.
▷ not lift a finger /nɒt ˌlɪft ə ˈfɪŋgəʳ/ [verb phrase] informal
to not help someone at all with work that must be done, such as cooking and cleaning, with the result that they have to do it all on their own :
▪ Tim doesn’t lift a finger when it comes to housework.
not lift a finger to help
▪ We spent the day moving furniture, but Sara didn’t lift a finger to help.