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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of idleness
Spending healthy years in idleness isn’t good for you.
—
Editorial Board, Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2026
DeJean, who recorded the game-changing pick-six in Super Bowl LIX, couldn’t comprehend postseason idleness.
—Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
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
Editorial Board, Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2026
DeJean, who recorded the game-changing pick-six in Super Bowl LIX, couldn’t comprehend postseason idleness.
—Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idleness
Noun
-
The relative inertia in the January transfer market was very nearly a cataclysmic mistake, as was the installation of Igor Tudor.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
-
Nuclear plants prefer the steady-demand networks currently in use that have loads of inertia as opposed to the future ones that must accommodate intermittent renewable energy sources.—
David Szondy
May 24,
New Atlas,
24 May 2026
Noun
-
Some who support the war most vocally also invoke free-market principles as grounds for government inaction.—
David S. Cohen,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 May 2026
-
The cost of the mayor’s inaction is not abstract.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
He has previously been arrested for charges including terroristic threats, assault, child neglect and fraud.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
-
Latana Williams, 27, was arrested and charged with child neglect, a first-degree felony.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
The rapid growth of AI data centers is simply forcing us to reckon with many years of indolence.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Part of his great accomplishment was to take the European aesthetic of beauty and redefine it for the South, with its heat and its billboards, its indolence and humor and thick nights.—
Hilton Als,
New Yorker,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
That includes closing costs, minimum withdrawal requirements, annual fees or inactivity fees.—
Jeanne Sahadi,
CNN Money,
20 May 2026
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The study evaluated 13 dementia risk factors, from physical inactivity to substance use to diet.—
Noah Lyons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 May 2026
Noun
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In 2015, an Angolan company called the Omatapalo Group bought the property, then overgrown and wild with disuse, made extensive renovations, and turned over management to Angolan hotel company OnTour, which opened Mumba Lodge in May 2025.—
Samantha Falewée,
Travel + Leisure,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Prior to redevelopment, the building showed significant deterioration after years of disuse.—
J.M. Banks,
Kansas City Star,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Such a high abandonment rate has only happened once since the Dust Bowl era in 1933 -- in 2022 when drought conditions were at record highs, Riddey said.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
28 May 2026
-
But what felt like freedom to me felt like abandonment to the others.—
Kelly Martens-Crompvoets,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
Impatience is a form of laziness, and the cure for impatience is to slow way down.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
-
Defaulting To Generic Strategies And Predictable Patterns My complaint is about context decay and structural laziness.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Idleness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idleness. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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