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
-
Some of us had spent twenty years in the same career and were itching for a change but stuck in inertia.—
Parul Somani,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2026
-
Large majorities of people know what these passwordless credentials are and use them to log in to at least some accounts, but they are being held back by organizational inertia.—
Rob Pegoraro,
PC Magazine,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
The superb ensemble includes Lyudmilla Ignatenko (Jessie Buckley) as the wife of a firefighter mortally wounded in the initial hours of the disaster and the fictional Ulana Khomyuk (Emily Watson) as a scientist who warns political leaders about the consequences of inaction.—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
14 May 2026
-
But the needs of older adults are growing rapidly, and the cost of inaction will only increase over time.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
The following morning, on May 10, Pierrecius, 32, was arrested and charged with child neglect causing great bodily harm, according to police.—
Adam England,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
-
John Cassidy explains why » More Top Stories Nearly two dozen kids living together in Los Angeles were found at risk of abuse and neglect.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
11 May 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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Instead of forming quickly and slowly cooling into inactivity, some planetary cores may develop over billions of years while continuing to power magnetic dynamos.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
10 May 2026
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Reducing Pain Fascia can get tight from inactivity, a trauma like injury or surgery, or muscle or joint overuse.—
Scott Haak,
EverydayHealth.com,
6 May 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
-
Despite a mentality forged by military service, her abuelo is kind and affectionate, while her straight-shooting abuela gives her the explanation she’s long been denied for her mother’s abandonment, without sugar-coating it.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
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Expressed through a bold, imaginative aesthetic, the film invites adult audiences to connect with themes of abandonment, control and self-discovery.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
Quitting is rarely about laziness.—
JD Barker,
Rolling Stone,
8 May 2026
-
Creativity should be used to challenge the simplicity, laziness, and opportunism of certain performances of righteousness.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Idleness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idleness. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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