Meaning & use
laid-back people
Last updated
Meanings
phraseplural
People who are calm and relaxed and do not get easily worried or upset.
Grammar: Used as a plural noun phrase; the adjective 'laid-back' comes before the noun and never after it.
Patterns
- laid-back people
- a laid-back person
- be laid-back about something
My new coworkers are laid-back people who never seem stressed.
She likes living with laid-back people because nobody argues about small things.
Laid-back people often do well in jobs that would make others anxious.
phrasepluralinformal
People who are very casual and not strict about rules or schedules.
Grammar: Describes a group's attitude rather than one person; for one person say 'a laid-back person'.
Patterns
- laid-back people
- laid-back about something
The teachers here are laid-back people, so deadlines are flexible.
He grew up around laid-back people who never hurried anywhere.
Common combinations
- laid-back attitude
- Her laid-back attitude helps the whole team stay calm.
- laid-back style
- He has a laid-back style of managing the office.
- laid-back about something
- They are pretty laid-back about arriving on time.
- a laid-back approach
- The coach took a laid-back approach to training.
- calm and laid-back
- After the holiday I felt calm and laid-back.
Synonyms and how they differ
- relaxed
- The most general word; 'relaxed' can describe a mood or a situation, while 'laid-back' usually describes a person's steady character.
- easygoing
- Very close in meaning, but 'easygoing' stresses that someone is not easily annoyed, while 'laid-back' stresses a lack of hurry or worry.
- casual
- 'Casual' often suggests a lack of formality or care, which can be slightly negative; 'laid-back' is usually positive.
Opposites
Word family
- laid-backness noun
- The quality of being calm and relaxed; rare and informal.
- laid back adverb
- In a relaxed, unhurried way, as in 'He works laid back.'; uncommon.
Commonly confused: laid-back people or lazy? laid-back people or laid off?
laid-back people vs lazy
'Lazy' is negative and means unwilling to work; 'laid-back' is usually positive and means calm, not unwilling.
laid-back people vs laid off
'Laid off' means losing a job; it sounds similar but has nothing to do with being relaxed.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'laid-back' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Laid-back' is an adjective and goes before the noun it describes: 'laid-back people'. Option 2 puts it after the noun, option 3 uses it as an adverb, and option 4 adds 'of', which is not used this way.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “laid-back people”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.