Lazy means unwilling to put in effort or work, even when you should. A lazy student might skip their homework to play video games instead, knowing they'll regret it later. A lazy coworker leaves extra tasks for others to handle. When you feel lazy on a Saturday morning, you might stay in bed scrolling through your phone rather than getting up to do something productive or fun.

Being lazy is different from resting when you need it. After running a hard race, your tired body needs rest. That's not laziness, that's recovery. Laziness means avoiding effort when you have the energy and ability to act. It's choosing the path of least resistance, even when you know better.

The word can describe actions too. A lazy river at a water park moves slowly and gently. A lazy throw in baseball floats through the air without much speed or force. Someone might do a lazy job of cleaning their room, shoving things under the bed instead of putting them away properly.

People sometimes call themselves lazy when they're actually overwhelmed, anxious, or unsure where to start. Real laziness is a habit of avoiding effort. The opposite of lazy is diligent or industrious: willing to work hard and see things through.