1
as in inertia
an inclination not to do work or engage in activities
the brothers' innate idleness meant that neither did much, either inside or outside their ramshackle cabin
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in inaction
lack of action or activity
a day spent in idleness is nice, but a month of doing nothing is boring!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in neglect
lack of use
the idleness of the machine was apparent by its thick layer of dust
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idleness
Noun
-
The business seems to be in a weird state of inertia and denial.—
Pamela N. Danziger,
Forbes.com,
8 May 2025 -
Using these, scientists were able to model the moment of inertia and Vesta's interior structure.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
6 May 2025
Noun
-
The Reagan airport tragedy last winter showed us the cost of inaction.—
Kevin Sabet,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 May 2025
-
Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., laid out the stakes of inaction at the beginning of the hearing.—
Lauren Peller,
ABC News,
13 May 2025
Noun
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By law, the president can only fire members for cause, such as neglect of duty or malfeasance.—
Andrea Hsu,
NPR,
16 May 2025
-
Poverty can place children at risk of abuse and neglect.—
Kathryn Maguire-Jack,
The Conversation,
15 May 2025
Noun
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The idea of Irish indolence fused with a quasi-religious faith in the laws of the market to shape the British response to the famine.—
Fintan O'Toole,
The New Yorker,
10 Mar. 2025
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The government insisted that the corn be sold rather than given away (free food would merely reinforce Irish indolence), and those who received it had little idea at first how to cook it.—
Fintan O'Toole,
The New Yorker,
10 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The rescission power fell into disuse under Bill Clinton.—
The Editors,
National Review,
10 Mar. 2025
-
So many mainstream film characters, especially ones assigned to women, act like windup dolls that sputter into disuse when their scenes end.—
Julia Whelan Emma Kehlbeck Joel Thibodeau,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2025
Noun
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But what really makes Fan Service the OTP for book and reader is Danan’s deft hand with deeper traumas — here, predominantly abandonment and bullying.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
EW.com,
19 May 2025
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Potential charges could include animal cruelty, abandonment, and neglect under Texas state law.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 May 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Idleness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idleness. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
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