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idler

noun

Definition of idlernext
as in slug
a lazy person the hot weather turned us into a bunch of idlers

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 idler Their name exudes the essence of an idler and slacker, but women’s loafers themselves are quite the opposite. — Gaby Keiderling, Harper's BAZAAR, 19 Jan. 2023 This represents the loss of an idea of what the capital should represent, the removal of a place that was an idler’s haven. — Anandi Mishra, The Atlantic, 30 July 2022 If the flaneur is an active idler, the badaud is a stationary, passive one, ready to stare open-mouthed at any phenomenon that offers novelty or puzzlement. — Julian Barnes, The New York Review of Books, 27 Apr. 2022 That these dialogues are a joint project of the WEF and the entitled idler next in line to the British throne is another reminder that democracy is no part of the Davos game. — Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 29 Oct. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idler
  1. slug
  2. drone
  3. sluggard
  4. snail
  5. bum
  6. layabout
  7. deadbeat
Noun
  • In general, the slug hasn’t been there for the team in September.
    — LaMond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Sher did fall short of convincing Deukmejian to sign one of his bills — a whimsical measure inspired by a Camp Fire girls and boys troop to proclaim the banana slug to be the official state mollusk.
    — Dan Morain, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of slug
Noun
  • Russia's overnight attack on Ukraine included anti-ship missiles, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and more than 200 drones, Ukraine's air force said.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026
  • More immediately, Goddard engineers are building a mass spectrometer for the upcoming Dragonfly drone copter, which is set to launch to Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, in July 2028.
    — Eric Niiler, Scientific American, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of drone
Noun
  • Scar then proceeds to desolate the kingdom, with the help of hyenas, while Simba, in exile, grows up to become a pleasure-hunting, grub-eating sluggard.
    — Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 19 July 2019
  • Clearly, supervision at your job is lax, and your sluggard classmate is taking advantage of that.
    — Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2017
Definition of sluggard
Noun
  • Aquarium officials received some 500 marine animals from that operation on June 19, taking in an array of fish, sharks, clams, shrimp, prawns and tiny snails.
    — John Donegan LONG BEACH POST, Arkansas Online, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Don’t Forego Speed; Accelerate It With Direction A deliberate approach does not automatically mean innovation at a snail’s pace.
    — Robbie Morrison, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of snail
Noun
  • Within the often zany and slapstick realm of Bob’s Burgers, Tina still manages to steal the show with her singular voice, romantic fantasies, and obsessions with unicorns and boy bums.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Even then, and with Nix having a bum ankle to Mahomes’ bum knee, the Broncos have shown a lot more in the last year to inspire confidence than the Chiefs have.
    — J.J. Bailey, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of bum
Noun
  • And yet suddenly Liam the layabout, Liam the bozo, Liam the irresponsible clown is in his element.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Marlon's Shorty Meeks is in his 25th year of high school, but has made millions as a layabout live-streamer.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 7 June 2026
Definition of layabout
Noun
  • In the film Rap World (which Bensinger also edited), Bensinger, O’Malley, and Rahill play suburban deadbeats eager to make an album, each man waylaid by his own hubris and distractions.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026
  • In the fight for the right to be yourself, there are a lot of barriers to being accepted as a female deadbeat.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of deadbeat

Browse Nearby Words

idleness
idler
idlers
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Idler.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idler. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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