# lazy

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈleɪzi/ · frequency rank #4,773

## Definitions
1. Unwilling to do work or make an effort; disinclined to exertion.
2. Causing or characterised by idleness; relaxed or leisurely.
3. Showing a lack of effort or care.
4. Sluggish; slow-moving.
5. Lax:
6. Lax:
7. Turned so that (the letter) is horizontal instead of vertical.
8. Employing lazy evaluation; not calculating results until they are immediately required.
9. Wicked; vicious.

## 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.

## Easily confused with
- **LZ** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lazy-vs-lz)
- **Liz** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lazy-vs-liz)
- **luz** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lazy-vs-luz)
- **ley** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lazy-vs-ley)
- **loy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lazy-vs-loy)
- **Lucy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lazy-vs-lucy)
- **lily** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lazy-vs-lily)
- **levy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lazy-vs-levy)
- **Livy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lazy-vs-livy)
- **leafy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lazy-vs-leafy)
- **leaky** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lazy-vs-leaky)
- **Lizzy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lazy-vs-lizzy)
- **Leahy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lazy-vs-leahy)
- **leary** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lazy-vs-leary)
- **LA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/la-vs-lazy)
- **law** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/law-vs-lazy)
- **lay** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lay-vs-lazy)
- **lab** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lab-vs-lazy)
- **las** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/las-vs-lazy)
- **lap** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lap-vs-lazy)

## Common misspellings (6)
`alzy`, `layz`, `lazyy`, `lazzy`, `llazy`, `lzay`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/lazy