lazy

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   moving slowly and gently

   up a lazy river

2. 2
   adj

   Unwilling to do work or make an effort; disinclined to exertion.

   Get out of bed, you lazy lout!

3. 3
   adj

   Causing or characterised by idleness; relaxed or leisurely.

   I love staying inside and reading on a lazy Sunday.

4. 4
   adj

   Showing a lack of effort or care.

   lazy writing

5. 5
   adj

   Sluggish; slow-moving.

   We strolled along beside a lazy stream.

6. 6
   adj

   Lax:

   a lazy-eared rabbit

7. 7
   adj

   Turned so that (the letter) is horizontal instead of vertical.

   There was probably more cattle bearing the Lazy S brand marketed than those of any other ranch in the world.

8. 8
   adj

   Employing lazy evaluation; not calculating results until they are immediately required.

   a lazy algorithm

Etymology

Attested since 1540, origin uncertain. Probably from Low German and Middle Low German lasich (“slack, feeble, lazy”), from las, from Old Saxon lask, from Proto-Germanic *lasiwaz, *laskaz (“feeble, weak”), from Proto-Indo-European *las- (“weak”). Akin to Dutch leuzig (“lazy”), Old Norse lasinn (“limpy, tired, weak”), Old English lesu, lysu (“false, evil, base”). More at lush. An alternative etymology traces lazy to Early Modern English laysy, a derivative of lay (plural lays + -y) in the same way that tipsy is derived from tip. See lay.