Word means the opposite of hard working

What is the opposite word for Hard-working?

  • lazy

    meticulous, scholarly

  • unscholarly

    scholarly

  • meek

    very involved in activity

  • idle

    determined, very involved in activity

  • inactive

    determined, scholarly

  • lethargic

    determined, meticulous

  • sluggish

    very involved in activity

  • indifferent

    very involved in activity

  • ignorant

    scholarly, very involved in activity

  • stupid

    scholarly

  • apathetic

    determined

  • disinterested

  • dispirited

  • irresolute

  • cowardly

  • uneducated

  • weak

    determined

  • quiet

  • lifeless

  • slow

  • unenthusiastic

    meticulous

  • dull

  • afraid

  • calm

  • negligent

    meticulous

  • unconcerned

    meticulous

  • unscrupulous

  • thoughtless

  • careless

  • uncareful

Use filters to view other words, we have 47 antonyms for hard-working.

Antonyms for hard-working

Filters

Filter antonyms by Letter

A B C D E H I L M N Q S T U W

Filter by Part of speech

adjective

phrase

Suggest

If you know antonyms for Hard-working, then you can share it or put your rating in the list of opposite words.

Suggest antonym

Menu

Hard-working Thesaurus

Hard-working Synonyms

External Links

Other usefull sites with antonyms of this word:

Synonym.tech

Thesaurus.com

Wiktionary.org

Opposite words of hard-working

Photo search results for Hard-working

Person Using Macbook Pro on White Table Person Holding White Printer Paper 3 Women and Man Sitting Beside Table With Laptop Computer Man and Woman Sitting at Table Man in Black Blazer Sitting Beside White Ceramic Mug Man in Black Suit Jacket Sitting Beside Woman in White Dress

Image search results for Hard-working

craftsmen, site, workers hedgehog, hard working, build vehicle, wheel, chain architect, planner, designers construction workers, maurer, site child, work, hard

Cite this Source

  • APA
  • MLA
  • CMS

Antonyms for Hard-working. (2016). Retrieved 2023, April 13, from https://thesaurus.plus/antonyms/hard-working

Antonyms for Hard-working. N.p., 2016. Web. 13 Apr. 2023. <https://thesaurus.plus/antonyms/hard-working>.

Antonyms for Hard-working. 2016. Accessed April 13, 2023. https://thesaurus.plus/antonyms/hard-working.

Synonym definition

A synonym is a word, adjective, verb or expression that has the same meaning as another, or almost the same meaning. Synonyms are other words that mean the same thing. This avoids repetitions in a sentence without changing its meaning.

Antonym definition

An antonym is a word, adjective, verb or expression whose meaning is opposite to that of a word. Antonyms are used to express the opposite of a word.

Use of synonyms and antonyms

Synonyms and antonyms are intended to:

  • — Enrich a text, an email, a message.
  • — Avoid repetitions in a text.

Examples of synonyms

The words acknowledge, enjoy, welcome are synonyms for «appreciate».

Examples of antonyms

The words blockage, encumbrance, handicap are antonyms for «help».

Use of synonyms-thesaurus.com

In your daily life, for writing an email, a text, an essay, if you want to avoid repetitions or find the opposite meaning of a word. This site allows you to find in one place, all the synonyms and antonyms of the English language. Synonyms-thesaurus.com is more than 70,800 synonyms and 47,200 antonyms available. Here you use the antonyms for hard working. These antonyms of the word hard working are provided for information only.

General terms and conditions of use

© 2018 Synonyms-thesaurus.com — All rights reserved.

Subjects>Electronics>Computers

User Avatar

Wiki User

∙ 10y ago


Best Answer

Copy

The opposite of hard-working could be lazy, slothful, lethargic,
or indolent.

User Avatar

Wiki User

∙ 10y ago

This answer is:

User Avatar

Study guides

Add your answer:

Earn +

20

pts

Q: What is the opposite of hard working?

Write your answer…

Submit

Still have questions?

magnify glass

imp

Related questions

People also asked

This is a free sample lesson from Level 1 of the Vocabulary Builder Course.

There are many different aspects of personality and character, and we have many different words in English to describe them!

Intelligence

smartLet’s start with a person’s intelligence. A very common word to describe an intelligent person is smart. There is also the word clever – that refers to someone who is intelligent in a creative way; a clever person can create unique and unexpected solutions to problems. And someone who has life experience, lots of knowledge, and the ability to make good decisions is wise.

The opposite of smart is stupid or dumb – be careful with these words, as they are strong and insulting! The opposite of wise is foolish – that’s a person who doesn’t have common sense, and who does things that are not a good idea.

Work Ethic

A person’s work ethic is their attitude towards work. Companies want to hire people who are hard-working, reliable (meaning you can depend on them; you know they will get things done) and diligent (applies persistent effort).

Hard-working

Hard-working

There’s also the word ambitious – meaning someone who strongly desires a lot of success. That can be considered a good or bad trait. An ambitious person can have the potential to achieve great things in an honest way… or they might be the type of person who will be dishonest and hurt others in order to get money and power.

Lazy

Lazy

The opposite of hard-working is lazy – a person who is not active and doesn’t like to do work or make an effort. The opposite of reliable is unreliable – you can’t have certainty that an unreliable person will do their work. Another bad characteristic for a worker is being careless – that’s the opposite of careful. A careless person doesn’t pay attention or focus, increasing the possibility of making mistakes.

Confidence

arrogantA person who has TOO much confidence in themselves, and who considers themselves superior to others, is arrogant – and someone who cares too much about their appearance is vain. The opposite of arrogant is humble – someone who is modest and who does not call attention to their own greatness.

People’s confidence affects the way they make decisions. Someone who is decisive makes strong, firm decisions and is confident in their choices. The opposite is an indecisive or wishy-washy person – someone who feels insecure (not confident) and has difficulty making final decisions, or who constantly goes back and forth from one option to another without committing. An insecure person may also be rather sensitive (meaning their feelings are easily hurt).

Social Relations

socialThe way you react to social situations is another major element of your personality. Someone who is outgoing or extroverted LOVES being in social situations and interacting with other people. Outgoing people are often talkative or chatty – meaning they talk a lot. The opposite is someone who is reserved or shy – this is a quieter person who doesn’t like being the center of attention. The word “shy” is stronger than “reserved.”

As for the way you treat other people, it’s good to be kind (someone who treats others well), nice (pleasant and friendly), and considerate (someone who thinks about other peoples’ feelings and tries not to hurt them).

kind

The opposite of kind is mean or nasty (someone who treats other people badly). An even stronger word is cruel – a person who intentionally causes others to suffer. And it’s also not good to be rude or inconsiderate – meaning someone who is not polite, and who doesn’t think about others’ feelings.

mean

When someone irritates you, do you get angry easily? Someone who quickly gets angry is short-tempered. The opposite is to be patient and easy-going – an easy-going person is relaxed, flexible, and easy to relate to.

Short-tempered

Short-tempered

Money

generousThere are also words to describe a person’s attitude towards money and resources. Someone who likes to share and give away their money, time, and possessions is generous – and someone who prefers to keep everything for themselves is selfish. Another word, stingy, is used specifically for a person who hates spending or giving money. And a person who wants to have much more than is necessary or appropriate is greedy.

Challenges

Finally, how can we talk about the ways a person reacts to challenges and difficulties? Someone who loves having new experiences is adventurous, and someone with a lot of courage is brave. An even stronger word for “brave” is fearless – someone who seems never to be afraid!

brave

The opposite of being brave is being a coward – someone who has no courage – but we often use slang expressions, for example, saying the person is “a chicken” or “a wimp” or to say the person “doesn’t have the guts” to do something.

coward

Pronunciation Practice

smart, clever, wise, stupid, dumb, foolish, hard-working, reliable, diligent, ambitious, lazy, unreliable, careless, arrogant, vain, humble, decisive, indecisive, wishy-washy, insecure, sensitive, outgoing, extroverted, talkative, chatty, reserved, shy, kind, nice, considerate, mean, nasty, cruel, rude, inconsiderate, short-tempered, patient, easy-going, generous, selfish, stingy, greedy, adventurous, brave, fearless, coward, chicken, wimp, doesn’t have the guts

Download the Worksheet

Vocabulary Practice

E-mail me your answers at [email protected] !

  1. Who is the smartest person you know?
  2. Do you consider yourself ambitious? Why or why not?
  3. How would you try to motivate a friend who is lazy?
  4. Have you ever worked with someone who was unreliable? How did you handle the situation?
  5. Are you typically more decisive or indecisive? Have you ever regretted a decision you made?
  6. Are you more outgoing or more reserved?
  7. Who is the most talkative person you know?
  8. Describe an act of kindness that you have done for someone (or someone has done for you).
  9. Do you know anyone who is mean or rude?
  10. Describe a situation you have experienced in which you had to be brave.

This is a free sample lesson from Level 1 of the Vocabulary Builder Course.

Image sources:

  • Gaetan Lee, Cartooncliparts.com, free.clipartof.com, SolitaryKing.com, Samuelejiwunmi, amgrant.wordpress.com, BetsyMikel.com, bestclipartblog.com

There are many idioms about working hard in English and they can often be used in different contexts like being busy, doing hard physical work, or just simply working hard.

4 idioms that mean hard work

Here are some idioms that we use to show that we are working hard.

Be inundated 

To be inundated means to be very busy. An inundation literally means “to flood”. We exaggerate a little when we use this idiom to say that we are flooded with work tasks. 

Examples:

Oh, I am sorry, I can’t come to the party. I am inundated at work.

Rory is inundated with work as usual.

Be snowed under

“To be snowed under” is similar to “to be inundated” as it has a weather metaphor. “To be snowed under” also has a meaning of being under pressure.

Example:

I am snowed under at work again. Sorry, I can’t make it to the show.

To burn the candle at both ends

“To burn the candle at both ends” means to do too much of something. The idea is that you are going to run out of energy because you are working too hard. It can also be used in the context of doing too much in your life in general.

Examples:

You can’t stay out until 4 am and then go to work at 8 am. You are burning the candle at both ends. 

Blood, sweat, and tears

We use “blood, sweat, and tears” for projects that we work on over a longer period of time.

Example:

I put my blood, sweat, and tears into that start-up and today it is worth nothing.

I put my blood sweat and tears into that book. 

Expressions we use before/after we work hard or study

Knuckle down/Buckle down

We use “to knuckle down” or “to buckle down” when we are reading to stop procrastinating and start working hard. “To knuckle down” and “to buckle down” basically have the same meaning.

Examples:

I am going to knuckle down just after I have this coffee.

When is he ever going to buckle down?

No pain, no gain

“No pain, no gain” is an expression we use when we have to work hard in order to have success. 

Example:

Oh, man! I have been working so hard on my business these past few months

No pain, no gain

Idioms to show that you are busy working hard

You can use the following idioms when you want to say that you are busy

To have your hands full 

I have my hands full with the Peterson report.

To have a lot on your plate

I am sorry, I will have to call you back. I have a lot on my plate at the moment. 

Idioms with the word “work” to show that you are working hard

Here are some idioms that you can use with the verb “to work”

Work like a dog 

This is a common expression in England to work very hard. You can think of The Beatles’ song “It’s been a hard days night, I’ve been working like a dog

Work like a horse

“Work like a horse” has a very similar meaning to “work like a dog” and basically means to work hard and intensely.

Work your tail/butt off

To work “your tail off” is a more American phrase and is generally used for longer projects. You can also use “to work your butt off” but that is more informal.  

To work day and night

To work “your day and night” is also generally used for longer projects. 

Idioms with the word “grind” to show that you are working hard

The word “grind” has a few different meanings but we also use it in the context of hard, boring work.

Back to the grind

“Back to the grind” is an expression people use when they take a break from work and have to go back and start working hard again.

Tomorrow is Monday so it is back to the grind for me!

Grinding it out

“Grinding it out” has more of a meaning that you just do what is necessary to get the result that you need. 

Oh, we are just grinding it out until the boss says we can go home. 

More idioms for hard work

Backbreaking work

“Backbreaking work” is a way to describe work that is physically demanding like building a road.

Soul destroying work

“Soul destroying work” is work that is extremely boring and has no meaning for you 

Idioms that show the opposite of working hard

We also have many idioms to use when people are not working very hard 

To phone it in 

“To phone it in” means to do your work without care. You basically just show up and do the bare minimum.

Dossing off

The verb “to doss” is a slang verb in British English that means to not work or laze about. 

Working hard or hardly working

“Working hard or hardly working” is something people say as a joke response when people say they are working hard. 

  • Author
  • Recent Posts

Conor is the main writer here at One Minute English and was an English teacher for 10 years. He is interested in helping people with their English skills and learning about using A.I tools at work.

Like this post? Please share to your friends:
  • Word means not good but not bad
  • Word means little use
  • Word means left out
  • Word means happier than happy
  • Word means countable or uncountable