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lack·a·dai·si·cal

(lăk′ə-dāzĭ-kəl)

adj.

1. Characterized by a lack of effort, care, or involvement: "There'll be no time to correct lackadaisical driving techniques after trouble develops" (William J. Hampton).

2. Lacking enthusiasm or interest; listless; casually lazy: If you weren't so lackadaisical in your studies, you wouldn't be so far behind in class.

[From lackadaisy, alteration of LACKADAY.]

lack′a·daisi·cal·ly adv.

Usage Note: The first two syllables of lackadaisical are pronounced (lăk′ə). Some people use the pronunciation (lăk′sə), as though the word were spelled lacksadaisical or laxadaisical. The confusion is probably semantic—someone who is lackadaisical could be said to have a lax attitude. In our 2014 survey, the Usage Panel overwhelmingly preferred the traditional pronunciation. Only 12 percent of the Panel found the lax pronunciation to be acceptable, and only 6.5 percent reported that they use it as their own preferred pronunciation.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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