shiftlessness

noun

as in inertia
an inclination not to do work or engage in activities with the start of the warm weather, combating the students' shiftlessness was a constant ordeal

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shiftlessness
  1. inertia
  2. laziness
Noun
  • The myth was always more inertia and bias than market reality.
    — Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 29 July 2026
  • The dead-weight committee, the report nobody reads, the standing call held together by inertia.
    — Nell Derick Debevoise Dewey, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of inertia
Noun
  • From the outside, and often from the inside too, this looks like laziness — proof that the person just isn’t trying.
    — Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
  • Positive qualities—promptness, diligence, cheerfulness—sped up your ascent through the ranks; negative ones—laziness, dissipation, late mornings—slowed it down.
    — Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 23 July 2026
Definition of laziness
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.

Browse Nearby Words

shiftlessly
shiftlessness
shifts
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Cite this Entry

“Shiftlessness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shiftlessness. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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