Meaning & use
being laid back
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Meanings
phrasefixed phraseinformal
the state or habit of staying calm and not worrying about things that other people get excited about.
Grammar: This is the -ing form of 'be laid back', so it works as a noun-like subject or after a preposition: Being laid back helps at work.
Patterns
- being laid back about something
- being laid back with someone
- being laid back in a situation
Being laid back about deadlines is fine until the work starts piling up.
Her being laid back with new staff makes them feel welcome.
I like his being laid back in a crisis — nothing seems to shake him.
phrasefixed phraseinformal
the quality of being relaxed in style or design, not formal or strict.
Grammar: Used to describe places, rules or events, not people, in this sense: The dress code here is being laid back.
Patterns
- being laid back about rules
- being laid back in style
The whole appeal of the place is its being laid back about dress and manners.
Being laid back in style, the restaurant lets guests stay as long as they like.
Common combinations
- being laid back about something
- Being laid back about money can cause problems later.
- being laid back with someone
- She is being laid back with the interns today.
- being laid back in a crisis
- Being laid back in a crisis keeps everyone else calm.
- being laid back by nature
- Being laid back by nature, he rarely argues with anyone.
- being laid back about rules
- The manager is being laid back about the new rules for now.
Synonyms and how they differ
- relaxed
- A more neutral word for the same easy manner; it works in formal writing where 'laid back' would sound too casual.
- easygoing
- Close in meaning, but it usually describes a person's character rather than a temporary mood or a place.
- casual
- Fits when you mean informal in style or attitude, but it can also suggest carelessness, which 'laid back' does not.
Opposites
Word family
- laid back adjective
- The base adjective meaning calm and not easily upset.
- laid-backness noun
- A rare noun for the quality of being relaxed.
Commonly confused: being laid back or laying back?
being laid back vs laying back
'Laying' needs an object (laying the baby back down), while 'lying back' means resting yourself; 'being laid back' is about a calm attitude, not a physical position.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'being laid back' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Being laid back' works as a noun-like subject describing an attitude, so option 2 is right. Option 1 wrongly puts it before a noun (say 'a laid back manager'), and options 3 and 4 confuse it with the physical verb 'lie/lay'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “being laid back”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.