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Where does lackadaisical come from?
We’re too enthusiastic about the lexicon to be lackadaisical about words, but lackadaisical itself is rooted in the sort of sorrow that can put a damper on one’s passion for vocabulary expansion. When folks living from the late 17th to the late 19th century had one of those days when nothing goes right, they could cry "Lackaday!" to express their sorrow and disappointment as a shortened form of the expression "alack the day." (Alack is an interjection used to express sorrow or regret.) By the mid-1700s, the adjective lackadaisical had been formed to describe these miserable ones and their doings and sayings. Around the same time, the word lackadaisy was introduced to the language as an interjection similar to lackaday; it was never as prevalent as lackaday, but it may have influenced the development of lackadaisical.
Examples of lackadaisical in a Sentence
Eddie Mouradian, Vulture, 24 Feb. 2025
Joe Rogan’s Chats With Tech Moguls Rogan, known for his sprawling interests and wide array of guests, has often been criticized for his lackadaisical interviewing style and tendency to rarely push back on questionable claims.
—Dimitar 'mix' Mihov, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
In fact, her deadpan tone and lackadaisical manner were a lot like Laura’s.
—Hannah Gold, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
Pitino laid into his team after the Providence game for lackadaisical defense in the second half as the Red Storm relinquished a 19-point lead before Richmond’s late-game heroics.
—Ralph D. Russo, The Athletic, 5 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Lackadaisical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lackadaisical. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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lackadaisical
adjective
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