leisurely

1 of 2

adverb

lei·​sure·​ly ˈlē-zhər-lē 

ˈle-,

ˈlā-

: without haste : deliberately

leisurely

2 of 2

adjective

: characterized by leisure : unhurried

a leisurely pace

leisureliness noun

Synonyms

Adverb

• laggardly
• pokily
• slow
• slowly
• sluggishly
• tardily

Adjective

• crawling
• creeping
• dallying
• dawdling
• dilatory
• dillydallying
• dragging
• laggard
• lagging
• languid
• poking
• poky
• pokey
• slow
• sluggish
• snail-paced
• snaillike
• tardy
• unhurried

Examples of leisurely in a Sentence

Adverb

the old hound dog leisurely sauntered over to his water bowl to take a drink

Adjective

They strolled along at a leisurely pace.

proceeding in a leisurely fashion

After a leisurely lunch, we went to see a movie.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

These let guests snack leisurely rather than sit down to a formal meal. —Food Drink Life, New York Daily News, 17 Apr. 2025

With 19 seconds remaining, Houston leisurely took the ball up the court, with Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson content to hold the ball for the last shot of the game. —Kevin Dotson, CNN Money, 8 Apr. 2025

Adjective

Walking Faster Improves Health in Multiple Ways In addition to decreasing irregular heartbeat risks, steady and brisk walking was also connected to other improvements in overall health compared with leisurely walking. —Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 16 Apr. 2025

Take a leisurely stroll through a nursery or garden center to see other planting ideas and supplies for your yard. —Clarence Schmidt, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1604, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

leisurely

adjective

lei·​sure·​ly

ˈlēzh-ər-lē,

ˈlezh-,

ˈlāzh-

: characterized by leisure : unhurried

a leisurely pace

leisureliness noun

leisurely adverb