National Lazy Day (yes, it’s real), arrives every August 10, offering a much-needed pause from our always-on world. This is your official permission to ditch responsibilities, ignore chores, avoid work, and fully embrace the art of relaxation. So, kick back, put your feet up, and savor a day of blissful inactivity. Feel free to celebrate! I’ve provided a list of helpful vocabulary to throw around when discussing the holiday with those who might need a greater understanding of the concept. (Both home and work options below.) Pro Tip: If you have already begun your celebration, you can always wait to read this post until tomorrow. 

 Fancy words for lazy:

Indolent: Avoiding work because you prefer a state of comfort.

Languid: Moving in a slow, peaceful, and unhurried way.

Torpid: Being very slow and inactive, like an animal sleeping.

Oscitant: Drowsy and yawning, showing a highbrow form of inattentiveness. 

-Merriam-Webster

British words for lazy:

 Layabout: An idle, lazy person who avoids physical or mental exhaustion or to try to  get a job.

Skiver: Someone who avoids work or dodges their duties by trickery or playing hooky.

Work-shy: An adjective and noun style term used for someone who actively avoids doing any form of work. 

-Cambridge

Traditional Slang and Nouns for Lazy:

Slacker: Someone who avoids work and effort.

Couch Potato: A person who spends a lot of time sitting or lying down, watching TV.

Lazybones: A harmless, old-fashioned name for a lazy person.

Goldbrick: Someone who shirks duty or pretends to work.

Workplace Nicknames for Lazy:

KitKat: Used for someone who is always taking a break.

Sensor Light (or Motion Light): Describes a person who only starts working when someone in authority walks past.

Wheelbarrow: Someone who only moves or works when they are pushed.

E.T.: Refers to someone whose main goal all day is trying to “go home”.

Seaweed: Used for a worker who just floats around the office all day doing nothing.

Cordless: Describes someone who works unplugged or only functions for a couple of hours before dying out. 

#1 Laziest Animal in the world: Pygmy Blue Tongue Lizard

Pygmy blue tongue lizards don’t enjoy interacting with the rest of the world, and they’re hyper-cautious about predation. The skittish pygmy blue tongues spend their lives hanging out in spider caves and don’t leave unless forced. For sustenance, they sit with their mouths open and wait for food to fall in. The same goes for water; they rely on raindrops landing on their tongues.

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‘doing nothing is very hard. you never know when you are finished.’

-leslie nielsen, american actor

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image credit: malta rabbit club