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
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Any longer than that, the robot may not be able to make the necessary avoidance adjustments due to inertia.—
Lee-Lean Shu,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
-
Not through sabotage, but through inertia.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Palm also criticized lawmakers for their inaction on addressing issues within the program that have been known for years.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 June 2026
Noun
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In the case of nursing home abuse and neglect, families can file a civil personal injury suit against the involved facility.—
Sponsored Content,
Denver Post,
9 June 2026
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Darrian Randle, 32, was found guilty of murder, child abuse, neglect and assault after the body of her daughter, Nola Dinkins, was found in June 2025, wrapped in Saran Wrap and left in a suitcase.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
8 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
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Addressing even one or two of the biggest factors, particularly smoking and physical inactivity, measurably changes the trajectory.—
Allison Palmer
June 3,
Kansas City Star,
3 June 2026
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That includes closing costs, minimum withdrawal requirements, annual fees or inactivity fees.—
Jeanne Sahadi,
CNN Money,
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
-
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
Noun
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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
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The ballad also aligns with the perspective of Jessie’s (Joan Cusack) abandonment and eventual joining of Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz’s (Tim Allen) crew of toys that once belonged to Andy and now live with Bonnie.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Idleness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idleness. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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