17 Other Ways to Say LAZY | Lazy Synonyms (Examples)

Sometimes people want to say someone is lazy, but they do not want to use the same word again and again. Words like idle, sluggish, or inactive can also fit well. Using different words helps you sound more interesting when you describe people or actions. In this article, we will explore 17 useful synonyms for lazy.

Synonym	Not doing anything or not being active	Example
Idle	Not doing anything or not active	He stayed idle all weekend instead of helping.
Sluggish	Moving slowly and without energy	She felt sluggish after a big meal.
Inactive	Not active or not moving	The gym membership stayed inactive for months.
Lethargic	Feeling weak and lacking energy	He was too lethargic to finish his work.
Indolent	Avoiding effort or work	His indolent habits cost him his job.
Unmotivated	Lacking the drive to act or work	She was unmotivated to clean her room.
Loafing	Spending time doing nothing useful	He spent the afternoon loafing on the couch.
Languid	Slow, weak, or lacking spirit	His languid walk showed he was tired.
Slothful	Very slow and lazy	A slothful worker is never on time.
Drowsy	Feeling sleepy and without energy	She was too drowsy to read her book.
Neglectful	Failing to take care or pay attention	His neglectful attitude upset his teacher.
Procrastinating	Delaying or putting off work	She kept procrastinating on her homework.
Resting	Taking a break or not working	He was resting on the chair after lunch.
Laze	To relax and avoid activity	They like to laze around on weekends.
Do-nothing	A person who does not work or act	He is known as a do-nothing in the office.
Couch potato	Someone who spends too much time sitting	He turned into a couch potato during summer.
Unproductive	Not producing results or useful work	The meeting was long but unproductive.

17 Different Ways to Say LAZY: Another Word for Lazy

Idle

Idle means not doing anything or staying without activity. When someone is idle, they may be sitting or standing around without making any effort to get something done. People often become idle when they are waiting for something or when they do not feel like moving. Being idle for too long can stop progress and create wasted time.

He was idle instead of helping with chores.
The machines stood idle during the holiday.
She spent hours idle at her desk.

Also Read: 16 Other Ways to Say ASSIST | Assist Synonyms (Examples)

Sluggish

Sluggish means moving slowly and without energy. A sluggish person does things at a slower speed than usual. This can happen when someone is tired, bored, or simply unwilling to put in effort. People can also feel sluggish after eating too much food or after not sleeping well. Sluggish behavior often shows a lack of motivation.

She walked sluggishly after the long trip.
He felt sluggish in the morning.
The sluggish student took forever to finish.

Inactive

Inactive means not active, not moving, or not participating in something. An inactive person often spends time sitting or lying down without working. It can also mean not taking part in tasks, sports, or social activities. Being inactive for long periods is not healthy, because the body and mind need movement and engagement to stay sharp.

The account stayed inactive for a year.
He was inactive during the group project.
They became inactive after losing interest.

Lethargic

Lethargic describes someone who feels weak, tired, or lacking energy. This is often more than just being lazy, as it includes a strong feeling of exhaustion. People who are lethargic may want to sleep, rest, or avoid any effort at all. Lethargy can make even simple daily activities feel like a challenge.

She was too lethargic to get out of bed.
He looked lethargic after the long flight.
The hot weather made everyone lethargic.

Indolent

Indolent means avoiding work or effort. It is a stronger synonym for lazy because it shows someone chooses not to do anything useful. An indolent person usually looks for ways to escape responsibilities or tasks. This word is often used when talking about people who waste their potential by not trying at all.

His indolent nature kept him from success.
She had an indolent approach to studies.
The indolent worker was always late.

Unmotivated

Unmotivated means lacking the drive or reason to act. An unmotivated person may have the ability to do things but chooses not to because they do not feel inspired. Sometimes people become unmotivated because they do not see results or rewards. This word is often used when talking about students, workers, or teams who do not try hard enough.

The unmotivated group did not complete the task.
She was unmotivated to start her homework.
He stayed unmotivated after repeated failures.

Loafing

Loafing means wasting time or not doing any productive work. It describes someone who spends their time being lazy or wandering around without purpose. People loaf when they avoid tasks or when they hang around doing nothing useful. Loafing too much often leads to poor results in school, work, or personal life.

He spent the whole day loafing in the park.
She was loafing around instead of cleaning.
The workers were loafing during the shift.

Languid

Languid means moving slowly, weakly, or without energy. This word can describe someone's body movements, voice, or actions. A languid person might seem uninterested or unwilling to put in much effort. This word often creates an image of someone acting in a soft, lazy, or almost dreamy way, as if they are half asleep.

She gave a languid wave of her hand.
He walked with a languid pace.
The hot afternoon left him languid.

Slothful

Slothful is a very strong word for lazy. It means someone is extremely slow and unwilling to do any work. The word comes from the animal sloth, which moves very slowly. Slothful people avoid tasks and do everything at the lowest possible speed. It often suggests a serious and long-lasting habit of laziness.

His slothful attitude kept him from progress.
She was slothful during the entire project.
The slothful child never cleaned his room.

Drowsy

Drowsy means feeling sleepy or ready to fall asleep. A drowsy person may not have the energy to work or take part in activities. This word is often used when someone is too tired to focus or act properly. While drowsy usually connects with sleep, it also shows a lack of alertness and effort.

He felt drowsy during the meeting.
She was too drowsy to study.
The warm sun made them drowsy.

Neglectful

Neglectful means failing to take care of responsibilities or duties. Someone who is neglectful may be seen as lazy because they ignore important tasks. This can apply to work, school, relationships, or personal care. A neglectful person often avoids or forgets responsibilities because they do not want to put in the effort.

The neglectful student never did homework.
He was neglectful of his daily chores.
Her neglectful behavior worried her friends.

Procrastinating

Procrastinating means delaying or putting off tasks that should be done. A procrastinator often wastes time on small or unimportant things instead of finishing important work. This habit can make someone appear lazy, because they keep pushing responsibilities to the future. It often leads to stress when deadlines approach.

She kept procrastinating on her essays.
He was procrastinating instead of working.
They procrastinated until the last moment.

Resting

Resting means taking a break and not doing work. While resting can be healthy, too much resting can look like laziness if tasks are ignored. Resting is often used to describe people lying down, sitting, or pausing after effort. It becomes a synonym for lazy when resting takes over important responsibilities.

He was resting instead of helping with chores.
She spent the whole afternoon resting.
They kept resting even though work was pending.

Laze

Laze means to spend time relaxing and avoiding activity. When people laze, they do not want to be disturbed and choose comfort over effort. This word often describes leisure time, but if it becomes a habit, it is seen as laziness. Lazing around is common during weekends or holidays when people want to avoid duties.

He liked to laze on the sofa.
She was lazing in the sun.
They lazed around the house all day.

Do-nothing

Do-nothing is a phrase for a person who never works or acts. This type of person wastes time, avoids responsibilities, and contributes nothing useful. Calling someone a do-nothing is a strong way of saying they are lazy. It shows that the person is not only inactive but also unwilling to change their behavior.

He was called a do-nothing by his boss.
The class clown was seen as a do-nothing.
She did not want to be labeled a do-nothing.

Couch potato

Couch potato describes someone who spends too much time sitting, usually watching TV or using devices. This term suggests laziness because the person avoids exercise or useful work. Being a couch potato is not healthy and can harm the body. It is often used in a casual or humorous way to describe inactivity.

He turned into a couch potato during vacation.
She was acting like a couch potato all day.
The couch potato never left the TV.

Unproductive

Unproductive means not producing results or useful work. An unproductive person may seem busy but gets nothing valuable done. This word shows laziness because it points out wasted time and effort. Even if someone spends hours working, if the outcome is poor, it is still called unproductive.

The meeting was long but unproductive.
He spent an unproductive day at home.
She felt unproductive after the failed project.

Final Thoughts

Many words can replace lazy, and each one shows a slightly different idea. By using these synonyms, you can describe people and actions more clearly and avoid repeating the same word again and again. Choosing the right synonym makes your writing richer and more engaging.