LAZINESS

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does laziness mean? 

• LAZINESS (noun)
  The noun LAZINESS has 3 senses:

1. inactivity resulting from a dislike of work

2. relaxed and easy activity

3. apathy and inactivity in the practice of virtue (personified as one of the deadly sins)

  Familiarity information: LAZINESS used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• LAZINESS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Inactivity resulting from a dislike of work

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

indolence; laziness

Hypernyms ("laziness" is a kind of...):

inactiveness; inactivity; inertia (a disposition to remain inactive or inert)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "laziness"):

faineance; idleness (the trait of being idle out of a reluctance to work)

shiftlessness (a failure to be active as a consequence of lack of initiative or ambition)

Derivation:

lazy (disinclined to work or exertion)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Relaxed and easy activity

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Context example:

the laziness of the day helped her to relax

Hypernyms ("laziness" is a kind of...):

ease; relaxation; repose; rest (freedom from activity (work or strain or responsibility))

Derivation:

lazy (moving slowly and gently)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Apathy and inactivity in the practice of virtue (personified as one of the deadly sins)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

acedia; laziness; sloth

Hypernyms ("laziness" is a kind of...):

deadly sin; mortal sin (an unpardonable sin entailing a total loss of grace)

Derivation:

lazy (disinclined to work or exertion)

 Context examples 

Her tranquillity was not improved by the general's impatience for the appearance of his eldest son, nor by the displeasure he expressed at his laziness when Captain Tilney at last came down.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

I cursed the laziness of the servants that they should lie abed at such an hour—for it was now ten o'clock—and so rang and knocked again, but more impatiently, but still without response.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

He did not like the laziness and the disinclination for sober, legitimate work of this prospective son-in-law of his, for whose ideas he had no respect and of whose nature he had no understanding.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)