idleness

noun

Definition of idlenessnext
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

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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!

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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

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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idleness
  1. inertia
  2. inaction
  3. neglect
  4. indolence
  5. inactivity
  6. disuse
  7. inertness
  8. abandonment
Noun
  • Many companies resist due to inertia, mistakenly viewing leadership as universal or cross-cultural skills as mere etiquette.
    — Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026
  • At idle, the engine has very little rotational inertia and low exhaust flow, so even small restrictions or pressure-wave disturbances can affect combustion stability.
    — John Paul Senior Manager Public Affairs And Traffic Safety Aaa Northeast, Hartford Courant, 11 July 2026
Definition of inertia
Noun
  • Trump was expected to sign the housing bill at Capitol Hill during a ceremony in June, but abruptly canceled in protest over the Senate’s inaction in passing his election legislation, the SAVE America Act.
    — Sydney Topf, The Washington Examiner, 13 July 2026
  • The precise magnitude of harms remains debated, but uncertainty is not an argument for inaction.
    — Paul Jester, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2026
Definition of inaction
Noun
  • Aleman was charged with DUI and child neglect, officials said.
    — Mark Price July 15, Charlotte Observer, 15 July 2026
  • Police booked Maldonado into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on two counts of felony child neglect.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 14 July 2026
Definition of neglect
Noun
  • Although a genius at depicting indolence, Hockney himself worked with a rigorous commitment.
    — Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 16 June 2026
  • 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
Definition of indolence
Noun
  • Type 2 more typically develops later in life, usually due to a combination of factors like genetics, excess weight, physical inactivity and age.
    — Adam Cohen, Oklahoman, 7 July 2026
  • And the inactivity would have driven every last person reading this insane.
    — Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of inactivity
Noun
  • The Genesis Convention Center, which had fallen into disuse and disrepair, opened in 1981.
    — Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2026
  • 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
Definition of disuse
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
Definition of inertness
Noun
  • Coming from one of the nation’s most prominent advocates, this was not an abandonment of the moral case.
    — Sachin H. Jain, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026
  • The onset of more organ soloing by Emmett over twin guitars is just the barrage needed to slam home the paranoia and loneliness in a song that alternates self-effacement with self-defensive allegations of gaslighting and abandonment.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 11 July 2026
Definition of abandonment

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idled
idleness
idler
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Cite this Entry

“Idleness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idleness. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on idleness

Nglish: Translation of idleness for Spanish Speakers

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