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
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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
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Recent Examples of idleness
This patience is watchfulness, not idleness.
—
Francois Botha, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
All of which could lead to so much work that a man like Wyatt Harper might never have another day of idleness again.
—Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
Francois Botha, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
All of which could lead to so much work that a man like Wyatt Harper might never have another day of idleness again.
—Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idleness
Noun
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Funny, though, that this movie could be viewed as the flip side of Causeway, a quiet drama that’s also about a woman at a crossroads who snaps out of her inertia thanks to meeting a kindly stranger.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
8 Nov. 2025
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Where the first half of the 1600 conversation explored how young men are drifting toward the right through grievance, alienation and algorithmic content, this installment challenges Democrats to confront their own inertia.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Because one student going hungry due to government inaction is one too many.—
Robert Moreno,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Mysteriously, Singer never pursued the suit any further and a judge dismissed the case in May 2012 for inaction.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Parker will appear in criminal court The civil verdict against Parker — who faces eight counts of felony child neglect in a criminal trial next month — provides a window into key evidence and arguments that will likely resurface when Parker appears in criminal court.—
Cindy Von Quednow,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
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In a separate legal matter, Parker is facing criminal charges of felony child abuse and neglect for her alleged indifference.—
Gary Grumbach,
NBC news,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The Johnson Administration said the AFDC rewarded indolence, and condoned non-marital child bearing.—
Stephanie Land,
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Sennott and her costars speak with an irritatingly fake affect, are shallower than a puddle in the desert and prize selfishness, indolence and artifice.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The World Health Organization has set a global target of reducing the levels of physical inactivity in adults and adolescents by 10 percent by 2025 and 15 percent by 2030, relative to the 2010 baseline.—
Hannah Millington,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
-
But this past July, Baldwin’s own civil suit was dismissed because of inactivity.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
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As the demand for Ghana’s goods decreased, so did the need for the industrial railway line, leading to its disuse.—
Edna Bonhomme,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025
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The muscles in his arms started to atrophy from disuse.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Advertisement Mamdani’s vision of an equitable, affordable urbanity emerges as a challenge to this long history of abandonment and exclusion.—
Fahad Zuberi,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Cue, Helm’s first rejection, abandonment, difficult emotions.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Fraud is a symptom of bubbles, but so is laziness.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
30 Oct. 2025
-
In the end, though, Black Phone 2’s relationship to Nightmare on Elm Street feels less like plagiarism than narrative laziness — but if the Grabber returns in a few years to fight Jason Voorhees, Freddy might want to consult a lawyer.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Idleness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idleness. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.
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