idly

adverb

ˈī-dᵊl-ē 

ˈīd-lē

: in an idle manner: such as

a

: without much thought, effort or attention

idly staring out the window

idly flipping from one channel to another

Harry … doodled idly on his parchment ignoring Hermione's frequent glares and nudges …

—J. K. Rowling

b

: in a lazy or inactive manner or state

sat with her hands resting idly in her lap

spent the day lying idly on the couch

Barber left London the next day, and for six months sat idly in Addis Ababa waiting for something to happen.

—Waverly Root

c

: without taking any action

"The time has come to speak," she said. "I cannot stand idly by [=do nothing] and see a young man going to perdition!"

—P. G. Wodehouse

… a party who has been wronged by a breach of contract may not unreasonably sit idly by and allow damages to accumulate.

—John D. Calamari and Joseph M. Perillo

Examples of idly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Farther down the block, a shirtless man answered the door, bleary-eyed and idly rubbing his chest. —Rachel Monroe, The New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2024

Other retailers aren’t just standing idly by though. —Elsie Boskamp, USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2024

Whether monologuing into a puddle of muddy water or idly fantasizing about eating Samwise Gamgee for dinner, his Gollum is vividly alive at all times; in the decade’s most sweeping epic, this wretched creature becomes the true battlefield on which the war for humanity’s soul is fought. —Indiewire Staff, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2024

China isn't sitting by idly, but has its own challenges Companies that have attempted to exit China for countries like Vietnam or Mexico haven’t always been successful, even when labor costs are low and there are few government restrictions. —Rick Barrett, Journal Sentinel, 7 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing idly

• sit idly by
• stand idly by