Make Your Point > Archived Issues > WORK-SHY
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pronounce
WORK-SHY:
Say it "WORK shy."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
The hilarious word work-shy describes people who are so lazy and so unwilling to work that it's as if they're scooting away from tasks. Backing away from assignments. Edging away from responsibilities.
See if you can recall some synonyms of work-shy:
1. People who avoid work to sit around doing nothing are in___ent.
2. People who avoid too much work by dragging out their tasks, making them take way too long, are dil____y.
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
One meaning of "shy" is "avoidant," as in "I'm shy of dogs, after I was chased and bitten by one."
So, to be work-shy is to avoid working. In other words, work-shy people and things are lazy and unwilling to work much.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Adjective: "this work-shy employee;" "They've always been work-shy."
Other forms:
Some writers drop the hyphen and write "workshy."
how to use it:
Pick this funny, folksy, informal word when you need to talk about people who avoid work because they're lazy.
Which is a pretty harsh thing to say about people!
You might talk about work-shy people, groups, attitudes, or excuses.
examples:
"[Cliff Sims]... pushes back hard at the notion that the president is work-shy or addicted to TV."
— David Smith, The Guardian, 7 February 2019
"When you look at Hitler's personal habits, it's hard to shake the feeling that it was just a natural result of putting a workshy narcissist in charge of a country... He wouldn't get out of bed until after 11:00 a.m., and wouldn't do much before lunch."
— Tom Phillips, Humans: A Brief History of How We F*cked It All Up, 2019
has this page helped you understand "work-shy"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "work-shy" without saying "loafing" or "laggardly."
try it out:
According to the BBC, a street-cleaning business in China equipped its workers with smartwatches that beeped at them to work harder if they were idle for 30 minutes.
While most of the workers hated being monitored in this way, one didn't mind:
"One cleaning lady argued that the watch would only affect the work-shy."
Do you agree or disagree with her? Is it just the work-shy people who should find it problematic to be monitored closely at work?
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game for November is "SpongeBob Shakespeare."
Check out the goofy quote below. Is it from SpongeBob Squarepants, or is it a modern-English version of a quote from Shakespeare?
I'll list the answer at the bottom of each issue. Enjoy!
Try this one today:
"This place is great. I'd love to waste my time here."
review this word:
A. CONFIDENT.
B. INDUSTRIOUS.
C. FAMILY-FOCUSED.
2. We can't assume that everyone _____ is work-shy.
A. receiving help from the government
B. volunteering for service in the military
C. who reddens and stammers when addressing a group
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
The hilarious word work-shy describes people who are so lazy and so unwilling to work that it's as if they're scooting away from tasks. Backing away from assignments. Edging away from responsibilities.
One meaning of "shy" is "avoidant," as in "I'm shy of dogs, after I was chased and bitten by one."
Part of speech:
Pick this funny, folksy, informal word when you need to talk about people who avoid work because they're lazy.
"[Cliff Sims]... pushes back hard at the notion that the president is work-shy or addicted to TV."
Explain the meaning of "work-shy" without saying "loafing" or "laggardly."
According to the BBC, a street-cleaning business in China equipped its workers with smartwatches that beeped at them to work harder if they were idle for 30 minutes.
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
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