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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
-
One problem that no amount of money can fix is political inertia.—
Nancy A. Youssef,
The Atlantic,
17 June 2026
-
Repetition is so easily confused with stasis—with inertia.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
Lula also pushed back against Washington’s concerns over China’s expanding economic footprint in Latin America, arguing that the United States has ceded ground through inaction.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2026
-
Rights groups say Bedouin herding communities are especially vulnerable as settlers seize remote land and outposts multiply, while new Israeli laws tighten control over Palestinians and critics fault global powers for inaction.—
Julia Frankel,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
People with serious mental illness continue to suffer in jails repeatedly criticized for violence, neglect, isolation, staffing shortages, and inadequate mental health care.—
Justyna Rzewinski,
New York Daily News,
16 June 2026
-
Practically overnight, Sylvia’s cozy attitude toward the girl hardens into coolness, impatience and neglect.—
Natalia Winkelman,
Variety,
16 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
-
Scientists found that a protein called NOX4 naturally declines with age and inactivity.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
-
Sitting Too Much Higgins said physical inactivity contributes to weight gain, nervous system activation, and poorer blood vessel health, which can increase blood pressure.—
Kathleen Ferraro,
Verywell Health,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
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
-
So a material known for its inertness suddenly shows its true colors and starts to react and act as a catalyst.—
Chris Lee,
ArsTechnica,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
The org has spent more than a decade fighting against the abandonment of movie theatres in the city and their conversion into hotels, hospitality developments and shopping centers.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
18 June 2026
-
The criteria include frantic efforts to avoid abandonment, having unstable relationships, identity disturbance, impulsive behavior, chronic feelings of emptiness, intense anger, emotional instability, paranoia or dissociation under stress, and recurrent suicidal behavior or self-harm.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Idleness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idleness. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
