Word: lax (adjective)

Associations

"Lax" means not strict, careless, or relaxed about rules or standards. It often describes a situation where someone is not paying enough attention or not being strict enough.

• The teacher was lax about homework deadlines. (The teacher did not strictly check if homework was late.)
• The security at the airport was lax. (The security was not very strict or careful.)
• He has a lax attitude towards his health. (He does not care enough about his health.)

A well-known synonym is "lenient." The difference is that "lenient" usually means being kind or forgiving, especially with rules, while "lax" often implies carelessness or neglect.

Substitution

You can use words like:

• careless (means not paying attention or being sloppy)
• slack (means loose or not tight, also means lazy or not strict)
• negligent (means failing to take proper care, stronger and more formal)

For example, "lax security" can also be "careless security" or "slack security," but "negligent" is stronger and often used in legal contexts.

Deconstruction

The word "lax" comes from Latin "laxus," meaning "loose" or "slack." It has no prefix or suffix; it is a simple adjective.

"Lax" originally described something physically loose, like a rope, and now it is used metaphorically for being loose in rules or discipline.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a time when you or someone else was lax about something important?
• How does being lax in one area (like studying or safety) affect the results?
• What is the difference between being lax and being flexible? When is it good to be lax, and when is it bad?