This person also claims: "there needs to be someone supervising everything and everyone to make sure everything is cleaned well and that everyone works well together (hint, hint, the person who gives the orders obviously thinks he's privileged to take this role.)
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I would use 'lazy boss' or a 'lazy supervisor' for such a person.– Veronica DiamondCommented May 26, 2014 at 8:58
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1This reminds me of boss of the house, or house's boss, or even just houseboss.– Damkerng T.Commented May 26, 2014 at 17:21
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My wife would say that the word you are looking for is 'male'– PerryWCommented Jun 26, 2014 at 6:06
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2 Answers
Finding a single word to encompass the entire nuanced meaning is tough.
My top single recommendation is imperious. 1, 2. An imperious person expects to be in charge, orders others around, and could act as though they are too good to do any work. However, it does not convey any sense of laziness (or industriousness, for that matter), so you would have to add modifiers to expand the meaning.
Terms which emphasize ordering others around and being in charge, but don't adequately convey a sense of avoiding work:
- Domineering
- Tyrannical
- Bossy
- Despotic
Terms which emphasize avoiding work, but not giving orders:
- Indolent
- Slothful
- Shirk (verb; he shirks his duty)
- Haughty (someone haughty feels above both others and working, rather than being too lazy to work)
answered May 27, 2014 at 1:41
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My motivation for using "laziness" was more based on someone's resistence, idleness or "feeling too good" to work. Some of your suggested words may, therefore, still work? Commented May 27, 2014 at 1:52
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Absolutely, especially if they think they should not have to work. If they don't work because they are lazy, that means they are unwilling to make any effort. As you say, there are many possible reasons for avoiding work. Commented May 27, 2014 at 1:56
Nervy: somebody who has the nerve, or total lack of shame, when it comes to doing annoying things.
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@Chenmunka that's not the only definition; it can also mean rudely bold or brazen. That's closer to what the question wants, but I don't think either definition is appropriate here, as neither carries a sense of laziness or entitlement. Commented May 27, 2014 at 1:06
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1@Chenmunka I have never heard an English speaker use "nervy" to mean "to behave in a nervous manner", and I'm someone whose job it is to listen to people talk about being anxious. That is, apparently, technically one of its definitions, but in the dictionary I checked it's the dead last definition after a bunch of things about courage and brashness. Commented May 27, 2014 at 2:18
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@Chenmunka From Codeswitcher's dictionary quote, number 1 definition of nervy: "Brashly presumptuous or insolent; pushy: a nervy thing to say; a nervy trick to pull."– JoshCommented May 27, 2014 at 6:44
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@Codeswitcher that's unsurprising; it's a British usage (you're American, yes?). Check BrE dictionaries (Oxford, Cambridge, Collins, or even google.com.hk) and nervous will appear before the brash definition. Commented May 27, 2014 at 12:31
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1@EsotericScreenName Ah! Yes, I am, thanks for bringing that usage to my attention. Commented May 27, 2014 at 19:43