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
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
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
-
And by the inertia of ownership.—
David Aldridge,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Character animations are slick, but reliable in their control and inertia — rarely leading to flubs caused by anything other than player error.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
27 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Yet, members of Congress continue to receive their salaries and benefits, insulated from the consequences of their inaction.—
Kate Plummer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Every day of inaction brings us closer to a crisis.—
Tesfaye Negussie,
ABC News,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Trying to use last minute overirrigation to make up for a season of neglect — well, that’s not a recipe for anything overly spectacular.—
Paul Cappiello,
Louisville Courier Journal,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Youth who are committed to a detention center are more likely than other juveniles to have suffered abuse and neglect, and strip searches can retraumatize them.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The world does seem full of unhappiness and tragedy, much of it human-caused, either through outright cruelty or through the indolence of our illusions.—
Philip Metres
July 30,
Literary Hub,
30 July 2025
-
Their waiter’s indolence meant a long wait even for menus, yet neither of them let drop a word of complaint.—
Jim Shepard,
New Yorker,
8 June 2025
Noun
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The full list includes things like obesity, physical inactivity, and social isolation—but not sleep.—
Arianna Huffington,
Time,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Luckily, their inactivity lasted only two-and-a-half years as each member gained a newfound appreciation for the band during its absence.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
As the demand for Ghana’s goods decreased, so did the need for the industrial railway line, leading to its disuse.—
Edna Bonhomme,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025
-
The muscles in his arms started to atrophy from disuse.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The investigation into the baby's abandonment is ongoing, with police asking anyone with information to come forward.—
Becca Longmire,
PEOPLE,
29 Sep. 2025
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Beneath her white coat and calm demeanor lived a woman weathered by trauma, grief, and emotional abandonment.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Slackers aren’t a monolith, these films suggest, and their creed is more than just a hipster variant of laziness.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
27 Sep. 2025
-
Track the effort paradox in your own results, practice strategic laziness by focusing only on what matters, choose clarity over activity, recognize exhaustion as your enemy not your edge, and protect restoration time as innovation fuel.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Idleness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idleness. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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