work-shy

work-shy
adjective
disinclined to work or exertion
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faineant kings under whose rule the country languished

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an indolent hanger-on

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too lazy to wash the dishes

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shiftless idle youth

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slothful employees

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the unemployed are not necessarily work-shy

• Syn: ↑faineant, ↑indolent, ↑lazy, ↑otiose, ↑slothful
• Similar to: ↑idle
• Derivationally related forms: ↑slothfulness (for: ↑slothful), ↑laziness (for: ↑lazy), ↑indolence (for: ↑indolent), ↑faineance (for: ↑faineant)

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adj
lazy, idle, slothful, slack, inactive, inert, slow, slow-moving, good-for-nothing, lethargic, sluggish
OLD laesie, lither, lusk, luskish
FORMAL indolent, torpid, languid, languorous, tardy, fainéant
COLLOQ. bone-idle
≠ busy, industrious, hard-working

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\\ˈ ̷ ̷ˌ ̷ ̷\ adjective
Etymology: work (I) + shy
: disinclined or unwilling to work : lazy

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work-shy «WURK SHY», adjective.
not willing to work; idle: »

He argues very logically against the view that immigrants are work-shy parasites (Manchester Guardian Weekly).

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adj. (of a person) lazy and disinclined to work

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adj [more \work-shy; most \work-shy]
Brit disapproving : not willing to work : ↑lazy

work-shy layabouts

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ˈwork-shy f24 [work-shy] adjective (BrE, disapproving)
unwilling to work
Syn: ↑lazy

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • work-shy — ˈwork shy adjective disapproving lazy and not wanting to work: • The minister was criticized for branding the young unemployed as work shy …   Financial and business terms

  • work-shy — adj someone who is work shy tries to avoid working because they do not like it = ↑lazy …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • work-shy — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ disinclined to work …   English terms dictionary

  • work-shy — also workshy ADJ GRADED: usu ADJ n (disapproval) If you describe someone as work shy, you disapprove of them because you think they are lazy and do not want to work. [BRIT] He is a morose, work shy layabout. Syn: lazy …   English dictionary

  • work-shy — adjective someone who is work shy tries to avoid working because they do not like it …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • work-shy — adjective disinclined to work …   English new terms dictionary

  • work-shy — /ˈwɜk ʃaɪ/ (say werk shuy) adjective disliking and tending to avoid work or effort of any kind; lazy …  

  • Union of Conscientiously Work-Shy Elements — The Union of Conscientiously Work Shy Elements ( da. Sammenslutning af Bevidst Arbejdssky Elementer) was an unusually successful frivolous political party in Denmark. It was founded in Aarhus in 1979 by a comedian, Jacob Haugaard (born 1952), and …   Wikipedia

  • shy — shy1 [ʃaı] adj comparative shyer superlative shyest [: Old English; Origin: sceoh] 1.) nervous and embarrassed about meeting and speaking to other people, especially people you do not know ▪ He was a quiet, shy man. shy with ▪ She was very shy… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • shy — 1. adj., v., & n. adj. (shyer, shyest or shier, shiest) 1 a diffident or uneasy in company; timid. b (of an animal, bird, etc.) easily startled; timid. 2 (foll. by of) avoiding; chary of (shy of his aunt; shy of going to meetings). 3 (in comb.)… …   Useful english dictionary

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