Lackadaisical – Word of the Day for IELTS Speaking & Writing

Expanding your IELTS vocabulary with precise and formal words can significantly boost your Lexical Resource score. Today’s word, “lackadaisical,” is especially useful when describing people’s attitudes, behaviours, or efforts that lack enthusiasm or determination. This adjective can help you sound more natural and sophisticated when discussing work ethic, motivation, or social responsibility in IELTS Speaking and Writing tasks.

Meaning of Lackadaisical

Adjective: Lacking enthusiasm, energy, or determination; showing careless laziness or a half-hearted effort.

When someone acts in a lackadaisical manner, they are indifferent or uninspired, often leading to careless or substandard work. It describes an attitude where effort is minimal, and interest or motivation is missing.

Origin and History of the Word

The word lackadaisical has a fascinating history rooted in English expressions of regret and disappointment.

There are times when life seems to be one unfortunate occurrence after another. We’ve all had days when everything was going wrong. When someone had such a day back in the 17th century, people would say “Lackaday” to express their sorrow and disappointment. Lackaday was a short form of the expression “alack the day.” In the mid-18th century, lackadaisical was coined through addition of the suffix -ical. The word lackadaisy also was used around that time as an interjection similar to lackaday, and this word, while never as common as lackaday, might have influenced the coinage of the word lackadaisical.

How to Use “Lackadaisical” in IELTS Speaking & Writing

Lackadaisical is a versatile adjective that fits well in both IELTS Speaking and IELTS Writing tasks, especially when discussing topics such as:

• Work ethic and motivation
• Education and student behaviour
• Social attitudes and responsibilities
• Personal habits and lifestyles

Using lackadaisical correctly can help you demonstrate a broad vocabulary and the ability to convey nuanced opinions about effort, responsibility, and enthusiasm.

Examples of “Lackadaisical” in Context

• A lackadaisical bowling performance by India ensured their loss in the World Cup semifinals.
• As a teacher, there is nothing worse than a lackadaisical student who is actually quite smart. All that potential wasted!
• His boss did not approve of his lackadaisical approach to his work.
• I was supposed to write my term paper, but the balmy winds and the warm afternoon made me feel particularly lackadaisical.
• The hippie lifestyle is marked by the hippies’ lackadaisical attitude about everything.
• His lackadaisical behaviour on set in many movies made directors unwilling to cast him.

IELTS Tip

When discussing issues related to motivation or responsibility in the IELTS Writing Task 2 and IELTS Speaking Part 3, lackadaisical is a strong word to describe careless or half-hearted attitudes. It helps you sound more precise and formal than simply saying “lazy” or “not interested.”

For example, in a question about why some students fail to achieve good results, you can say:
“Some students adopt a lackadaisical attitude towards their studies, which significantly affects their performance.”

Synonyms for “Lackadaisical”

• Apathetic
• Indifferent
• Lazy
• Half-hearted
• Unenthusiastic
• Sluggish
• Careless

Antonyms for “Lackadaisical”

• Energetic
• Enthusiastic
• Diligent
• Hardworking
• Motivated
• Zealous

Sample IELTS Speaking Answer using “Lackadaisical”

Use in: IELTS Speaking Part 3 – Talking about work or study habits

Question: What are some reasons why people lose motivation at work or school?

Answer:
“I think one major reason is that some people become lackadaisical when they don’t see the results of their hard work or feel undervalued. This careless or indifferent attitude causes them to lose interest, and as a result, their productivity declines. Employers and teachers should try to motivate people to prevent this.”

Sample IELTS Writing Sentence using “Lackadaisical”

Use in: IELTS Writing Task 2 – Discussing education or workplace challenges

Example:
“Educational institutions often struggle when students develop lackadaisical attitudes towards their studies, leading to lower academic achievement and wasted potential.”

Practice Exercise

Fill in the blanks with “lackadaisical” or its synonyms:

1. The manager was frustrated by the team’s __________ approach to completing the project.
2. It’s easy to become __________ when there is no clear reward for hard work.
3. The student’s __________ attitude toward homework affected his grades negatively.
4. To improve, the company needs to address the __________ service offered by some employees.

Answers:

1. lackadaisical
2. apathetic
3. lackadaisical
4. lackadaisical

Incorporating words like lackadaisical in your IELTS test responses helps you express opinions with clarity and sophistication. Keep practicing this word in different topics to improve your fluency and lexical resource for higher band scores.  If you're aiming for top IELTS Band Score, follow the IELTS Exam Preparation Tips for Band Score of 8+ to further enhance your vocabulary and overall test performance.

Also Check: 

• 21+ Tips On How to Improve Your IELTS Writing Band Score
• 10 Useful IELTS Speaking Tips to Impress the Examiner
• Useful Idioms for IELTS Speaking to Score Band 8.0+
• Linking words for IELTS Speaking Section
• IELTS Pronunciation Guide 2025
• 75+ Common English Words Used in IELTS Speaking Test