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
-
My field has spent a decade pointing to Schedule I, scarce funding, and regulatory inertia as the reasons our progress has been so slow, and those complaints are now being taken seriously at the highest levels of government.—
Peter S. Hendricks,
STAT,
6 May 2026
-
The result is a budget that reflects institutional inertia more than the needs of Angelenos.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Their inaction is unacceptable.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
-
No one is exempt from their responsibility, regardless of rank or assignment, and all must answer for their actions and inactions.—
Sierra van der Brug,
Daily News,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Cornelius endorsed the revitalization plan in 2022, which seeks to modernize the area and fix problems stemming from long-term neglect.—
Nick Sullivan,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Strength in one pillar supports the others; neglect in one weakens all three.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 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
-
People who are socially isolated are more likely to engage in unhealthy behaviors such as smoking, poor diet and physical inactivity, and may be less likely to follow treatment plans.—
Olamide Asifat,
The Conversation,
28 Apr. 2026
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The study examined each city’s ranking for quality of life and environmental conditions, life expectancy, smoking rates, obesity levels, food quality and safety standards, and physical inactivity for adults over the age of 70.—
Kristine Hansen,
Travel + Leisure,
28 Apr. 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
-
Liz, meanwhile, talks about the abandonment issues she’s dealt with since the loss of her mother, blaming that for her tough exterior.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
4 May 2026
-
Parental abandonment is passed down, learned.—
James Wood,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Score another point for laziness.—
Nathan Edwards,
The Verge,
26 Apr. 2026
-
The issue isn’t laziness or indifference.—
Allison Palmer,
Charlotte Observer,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Idleness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idleness. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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