Word
lackadaisical
Phoneticslack·adaisi·cal
US/ˌɫækəˈdeɪzɪkəɫ/
UK/lˌækɐdˈeɪzɪkəl/
Definition
adj. showing a lack of interest, energy, or care. You use this to describe someone who does a job poorly because they are not trying hard enough.
adj. characterised by a lack of enthusiasm, determination, or care; lazily indolent. Often used to describe a person's attitude toward work or responsibilities.
Examples
“His lackadaisical attitude toward his homework worried his parents.”
“The team lost the match because of their lackadaisical performance in the second half.”
“The project failed not due to a lack of funding, but because of the lackadaisical management style that allowed small errors to compound over time.”
Examples
simple
“His lackadaisical attitude toward his homework worried his parents.”
contextual
“The team lost the match because of their lackadaisical performance in the second half.”
complex
“The project failed not due to a lack of funding, but because of the lackadaisical management style that allowed small errors to compound over time.”
Usage
Typically used to describe a person's attitude, effort, or approach to a task.
Real-World Examples
“A swaggering Chelsea cast off any suggestion that they had lost the ability to kill off games, putting five goals past a worryingly lacklustre and lackadaisical Manchester United.” “Kennedy also fired two taskforce leaders in May, and called members, “lackadaisical and negligent for 20 years” at a congressional hearing in April.” Etymology
From the late 17th century through the late 19th century, people sometimes used the expression “Lackaday!” when things went badly and they wanted to express sadness or disappointment. The word was a shortened form of “alack the day,” with alack being an exclamation used to express sorrow or regret.
By the mid-18th century, the adjective lackadaisical had developed from this expression. It was originally used to describe people who seemed tired, disappointed, or without much energy, as well as their half-hearted actions and words.
Today, lackadaisical has a somewhat lighter meaning. It is most commonly used to describe someone who is lazy, relaxed, or lacking enthusiasm and effort.
Original etymology written by Shinotoshi Nakamura.
Synonyms
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/lackadaisical