pigro
/ˈpi.ɡro/
The Italian word for lazy is pigro.
pigro is used to describe someone who is unwilling to work.
Meaning: unwilling to work (adj)
Which one should you use?
While pigro is the standard term, you may encounter other words depending on the tone: Indolente is a more formal way to say lazy or indolent, whereas Fannullone is an informal term implying someone purposely avoids work and Svogliato is an informal term for someone showing a lack of enthusiasm or drive.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective changes its ending based on the gender and number of the person or noun being described: use pigra for a female person or a feminine noun, pigri for a group of men or a mixed-gender group and pigre for a group of women or feminine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
pigro is pronounced /ˈpi.ɡro/. The stress is on the first of the two syllables.
Did you know?
- To describe a 'lazybone' in a playful or ironic way, Italians sometimes use the word poltrone, which is derived from poltrona 'armchair'.
- The phrase stare a grattarsi la pancia 'to scratch one's belly' is a common idiom used to describe someone being pigro.
- In Italian, you can call someone a pigrone to emphasize their laziness, adding a suffix that makes the trait seem larger or more extreme.
Examples in context
- È avido e pigro.He's greedy and lazy.This sentence shows how to use pigro alongside another adjective to describe a person.Tatoeba #3258239 by Guybrush88, translation #1907949 by Spamster
- Tom non è pigro.Tom isn't lazy.This sentence demonstrates using the adjective in a negative construction.Tatoeba #4247446 by Guybrush88, translation #3171281 by CK
- È un uomo pigro.He's a lazy man.This sentence shows using the adjective to describe a noun.Tatoeba #8492736 by Guybrush88, translation #8479996 by CH
- Non riesco a lavorare con lui poiché è molto pigro.I can't work with him because he is very lazy.
- Il mio collega ha un atteggiamento indolente verso il lavoro.My colleague has an indolent attitude towards work.
- Se continui a essere un fannullone, perderai tutte le opportunità.If you keep being lazy, you'll miss out on all the opportunities.
- Mio figlio è così svogliato ultimamente, non fa altro che dormire.My son has been so lazy lately, all he does is sleep.
- Hai visto Marco? È seduto sul divano tutto il giorno, pigro come un gatto al sole!Have you seen Marco? He's been sitting on the couch all day, lazy as a cat in the sun!
- 234 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alessandro and Martina are talking at home about their roommate.
- AlessandroLui è molto pigro.He is very lazy.
- MartinaSì, non pulisce mai nulla.Yes, he never cleans anything.
- AlessandroDevi parlare con lui.You need to talk to him.
- MartinaLo farò domani.I will do it tomorrow.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lazy” translations and entries pigro, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
