IDLER Synonyms: 51 Similar and Opposite Words

idler

noun

Definition of idler

as in slug

a lazy person the hot weather turned us into a bunch of idlers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

Noun

The live-by-the-slug, die-by-the-slug Dodgers have hit zero home runs in the NLCS.

— Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
These beneficial predators spend the winter under leaves, emerging in spring to feed on common garden pests such as aphids, slugs and mites.

— Manjot Kaur Sidhu, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of slug

Noun

But Wang has incorporated drones and AI into his family’s farm in an effort to modernize and economize the work.

— Rafi Schwartz, TheWeek, 21 Oct. 2026
In other developments, Russia unleashed another missile and drone blitz on civilian areas in Ukraine, killing at least nine people, officials said, as Zelenskyy sought more American and European help.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 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

Now, researchers studying Japanese land snails have identified a gene that helps determine whether their shells coil clockwise or counterclockwise, offering new clues into how animals develop their left and right sides.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
These under-eye saviors revitalize tired-looking eyes with eight firming peptides and snail mucin to deliver a deep boost of hydration.

— Vivien Lee, InStyle, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of snail

Noun

Carl Sandburg’s 1927 American Songbag featured a whole section of hobo songs presenting the bum as a beau ideal.

— Caroline Fraser, The New York Review of Books, 3 Oct. 2026
The silhouette was heavily elongated, with three-quarter-length jackets and argyle knitwear that covered the bum.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of bum

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

Style

“Idler.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idler. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of idler

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

asunder

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 23

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes