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The Collaborative International Dictionary
Shiftlessness

Shiftless \Shift"less\, a. Destitute of expedients, or not using successful expedients; characterized by failure, especially by failure to provide for one's own support, through negligence or incapacity; hence, lazy; improvident; thriftless; as, a shiftless fellow; shiftless management. -- Shift"less*ly, adv. -- Shift"less*ness, n.

Wiktionary
shiftlessness

n. The property of being shiftless.

WordNet
shiftlessness

n. a failure to be active as a consequence of lack of initiative or ambition

Usage examples of "shiftlessness".

The same leathery old face with the wind and weather wrinkles in it, the same shaggy brows shielding deep-sunk eyes, the same scraggly crop of whiskers, the same sense of forgotten shiftlessness and driven stubbornness.

It accounted for the change from the happy-go-lucky shiftlessness to the beaten and defeated and driven attitude.