Standard Lemma guide

lackadaisical

adj · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˌlækəˈdeɪzɪkəl/
  • /læksə-/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: L AE2 K AH0 D EY1 Z IH0 K AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Showing no interest, vigor, determination, or enthusiasm.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • the lackadaisical look on his face

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: languid, listless, unenthusiastic, uninterested, lethargic, adiaphroistic, apathetic, apathistical, blasé, blithe, deaf, cool, shiftless, dispassionate, dull, enervated, gallionic, halfhearted, heartless, impassive, ineffervescible, insouciant, indifferent, insensible, jaded, languorous, Laodicean, lackadaisical, lotophagous, lukewarm, meh, mopey, nonchalant, nonplussed, otiose, phlegmatic, pococurante, spiritless, supine, tepid, torpid, torpedinous, unaroused, uncaring, unconcerned, unimpressible, unlively, unmoved, untouched, unzealous, world-weary

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Lazy; slothful; indolent.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: idle, bone-idle, fainéant, indolent, inert, lackadaisical, lazy, lither, otiose, slothful, sluggish, swear, torpid, work-shy

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

idle or indolent especially in a dreamy way- P.G.Wodehouse

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • she was annoyingly lackadaisical and impractical
  • a...lackadaisical, spiritless young man-about-town

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

lacking spirit or liveliness

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a lackadaisical attempt
  • a languid mood
  • a languid wave of the hand
  • a hot languorous afternoon

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: dreamy, languid, languorous

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From the archaic expression lackadaisy + -ic + -al.

Across languages

Translations

59 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: отпуснат (otpusnat) — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Bulgarian: апатичен (apatičen) — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Catalan: lànguid — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Catalan: indiferent — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Chinese Mandarin: 漠不关心的 (mò bù guān xīng de) — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Chinese Mandarin: 不热心的 (bù rè xīng de) — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Czech: lhostejný — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Czech: apatický — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Czech: netečný — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Dutch: ongeïnteresseerd — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Dutch: lusteloos — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Dutch: laks — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Esperanto: malvigla — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Finnish: välinpitämätön — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Finnish: raukea — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Finnish: tylsämielinen — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Finnish: innoton — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Finnish: ponneton — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • French: languide — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • German: gleichgültig — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • German: lustlos — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • German: lasch — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Greek: βαρυεστημένος (varyestiménos) — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Ancient Greek: ἀσπούδαστος (aspoúdastos) — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Hungarian: egykedvű — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Hungarian: unott — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Hungarian: közönyös — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Hungarian: közömbös — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Hungarian: érdektelen — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Hungarian: nemtörődöm — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Indonesian: pemalas — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Italian: languido — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Italian: apatico — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Italian: stufato — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Ladino: jilveli — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Macedonian: бе́зволен (bézvolen) — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Māori: waimeha — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Māori: momoe — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Portuguese: desmotivado — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Portuguese: apático — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Portuguese: lânguido — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Russian: равноду́шный (ravnodúšnyj) — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Russian: апати́чный (apatíčnyj) — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Serbo-Croatian: bezvoljan — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Spanish: lánguido — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Swedish: ointresserad — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Swedish: oengagerad — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Swedish: likgiltig — showing no interest or enthusiasm
  • Bulgarian: ленив (leniv) — Lazy; slothful; indolent
  • Catalan: peresós — Lazy; slothful; indolent
  • Catalan: mandrós — Lazy; slothful; indolent
  • Hungarian: lusta — Lazy; slothful; indolent
  • Hungarian: tunya — Lazy; slothful; indolent
  • Portuguese: preguiçoso — Lazy; slothful; indolent
  • Portuguese: indolente — Lazy; slothful; indolent
  • Russian: ленивый (lenivyj) — Lazy; slothful; indolent
  • Serbo-Croatian: mlitav — Lazy; slothful; indolent
  • Serbo-Croatian: šonjav — Lazy; slothful; indolent
  • Spanish: perezoso — Lazy; slothful; indolent