Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective lackadaisical differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of lackadaisical are languid, languorous, listless, and spiritless. While all these words mean "lacking energy or enthusiasm," lackadaisical implies a carefree indifference marked by half-hearted efforts.

lackadaisical college seniors pretending to study

Where would languid be a reasonable alternative to lackadaisical?

The meanings of languid and lackadaisical largely overlap; however, languid refers to an unwillingness or inability to exert oneself due to fatigue or physical weakness.

was depressed and languid for weeks after surgery

In what contexts can languorous take the place of lackadaisical?

Although the words languorous and lackadaisical have much in common, languorous suggests a dreamy boredom and delicacy that avoids unnecessary activity.

languorous cats lying in the sun

When is listless a more appropriate choice than lackadaisical?

While the synonyms listless and lackadaisical are close in meaning, listless suggests a lack of interest caused by physical weakness or dissatisfied boredom.

listless hospital patients
listless children flipping through picture books on a rainy day

When could spiritless be used to replace lackadaisical?

While in some cases nearly identical to lackadaisical, spiritless refers to a lack of animation or vigor that gives one's actions and words life.

a spiritless recital of the poem

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of lackadaisical Bombadil is an intriguing character in the novels, with a curiously lackadaisical attitude toward the ring that enthralls nearly everyone else in Middle-earth. Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 15 Aug. 2024 The North Carolina singer-songwriter led her band through the warm Americana, classic rock guitar solos, and lackadaisical folk strums of her new album, Bite Down, giving the music an extra edge with witty retorts and cheeky one-liners. Boutayna Chokrane, Pitchfork, 22 July 2024 Everything’s coming up Kamala in this midsummer reboot of a campaign that for months had turned even the most interested insiders lackadaisical, if not sour. Philip Elliott, TIME, 26 July 2024 How would the Yankees, who’d lost 13 of 17 and often looked lackadaisical doing it, respond Saturday? Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 7 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for lackadaisical 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lackadaisical
Adjective
  • The fishermen reported the turtle to wildlife authorities, who rescued the listless turtle and transported her to the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society.
    Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Nov. 2024
  • The green takeover was inspired by fan-cams that emerged in the listless days following Biden’s debate fumble.
    Zoe Guy, Vulture, 23 July 2024
Adjective
  • But towards the end of the day, when everyone is sufficiently tired out, Webb says there's nothing better than sitting down and winding down together.
    Alyce Collins, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
  • In difficult listening situations, participants described feeling physically and mentally tired.
    Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • The rhymed verse the characters speak in doesn’t at all hinder them from expressing themselves colloquially, in idioms that sound better with a languorous Southern lilt.
    Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2024
  • Rozier constructs his love triangle (or, rather, square) without an ounce of melodrama, focusing as much on the vacation’s languorous atmosphere—and its giddy effect on the friends’ inside jokes and childish slapstick—as on the slow-burn plot.
    Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 15 July 2024
Adjective
  • Yet the club dropped the contest in spiritless fashion, 6-2.
    Julian McWilliams, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Aug. 2023
  • Lil Wayne is not tolerating spiritless crowds at his shows.
    Daniela Avila, Peoplemag, 15 May 2023
Adjective
  • The pace is languid, but the tension builds rapidly, aided by Louise’s increasing desperation and a pack of angry dogs.
    Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 17 Sep. 2024
  • There exists a long history of the dying muse, beautiful, feverish, and doomed: In 1852, the artist’s model Elizabeth Siddal posed as Hamlet’s Ophelia for the pre-Raphaelites, her languid sickliness attributed to tuberculosis by her peers.
    Rhian Sasseen, The Atlantic, 14 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • David believes this is just her exhausted mind playing tricks, attributing it to postpartum depression, stress, and fatigue.
    Matt Grobar, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2024
  • This means that athletes can train longer before becoming exhausted.
    Maria Berentzen, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • Other checks on Trump’s policy will also be far weaker.
    Daniel W. Drezner, Foreign Affairs, 12 Nov. 2024
  • Each endpoint can be assessed to sniff out weak points.
    PCMAG, PCMAG, 6 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • So wash your legs and get your tickets, because sleepy bitches don’t get to go to fun reunions.
    Anne Victoria Clark, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2024
  • Continue reading to learn more about Telluride, Deer Valley, and the other sleepy ski towns making a stir in the western states.
    Madeline Fitzgerald, Quartz, 4 Nov. 2024

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Thesaurus Entries Near lackadaisical

Cite this Entry

“Lackadaisical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lackadaisical. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on lackadaisical

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