What does leisurely mean?
Leisurely describes something that is unhurried, relaxed, or conducted without excessive speed. It may characterize a person's manner, an activity, or the pace at which something happens: a leisurely lunch, a leisurely conversation, or walking leisurely through a park. As an adjective, it conveys that movement or conduct is easy and unhurried; as an adverb, it modifies a verb in the same way, as in “He leisurely opened the envelope.” The word is common in both British and American English and is appropriate in descriptive writing and everyday conversation. Its connotation is generally positive, suggesting relaxation and freedom from pressure rather than simply slowness. Leisurely is especially effective when the contrast between calm activity and urgency is important to the scene.
Unhurried and relaxed, especially in pace, manner, or character.
"They enjoyed a leisurely breakfast on the sunlit balcony."
Often conveys a calm, unhurried atmosphere rather than merely slow movement.
In an unhurried and relaxed manner.
"The old dog leisurely crossed the garden."
Commonly used with verbs of movement, speech, eating, and routine activity.
Leisurely ultimately points to permission: its Latin ancestor meant “to be allowed,” before the word came to mean free time.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does leisurely come from?
Leisurely was formed in English by adding the suffix -ly to leisure. Leisure came through Middle English from Old French leisour, meaning free time, and ultimately derives from Latin licere, “to be allowed or permitted.” The same Latin root underlies words such as license and licentious, reflecting the original sense of permission or authorized freedom.
How leisurely is actually used
Leisurely is neutral in register and is especially appropriate for describing movement, speech, travel, or the pace of an activity. It can suggest not only lack of hurry but also a relaxed, unhurried atmosphere.
Easily confused with leisurely
Leisure is free time or relaxation, whereas leisurely describes something that is unhurried or done without excessive speed.