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

On the other hand, standing idly by while a kid makes concerning choices can feel like an abdication of parental responsibility. —Russell Shaw, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025

Props malfunctioned, the set grew claustrophobic, and the cast was sometimes left waiting around idly while Scott and cinematographer Derek Vanlint obsessed over lighting details. —Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2025

The National Guard troops have mostly stood idly next to their vehicles. —Cate Martel, The Hill, 19 Aug. 2025

The problem for the United States is that others are not sitting idly by. —Henry Farrell, Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing idly

• sit idly by
• stand idly by

Rhymes for idly

• widely
• impliedly
• unqualifiedly