as in slug
a lazy person
the hot weather turned us into a bunch of idlers
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Recent Examples of idler
His discoveries promise to upset the gaming tables of every school of thought that wagers on new and untested art for idlers’ rewards: the love of novelty, the will to make or unmake reputations, the wish to be hip or au courant.
—
Mark Greif, Harper's Magazine, 26 July 2024
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
Mark Greif, Harper's Magazine, 26 July 2024
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
-
Place a piece of 6 x 6-inch piece of cardboard or thin plywood on the garden surface to attract slugs, then check under it every morning.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
28 Aug. 2025
-
Except this time Boyd witnessed Chapman slug the fastball 400 feet to left-center field for a two-run home run.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
So far in September, Russian forces conducted two major airstrikes of 500 airborne weapons, with 2,147 drones dispatched in total.—
Katya Soldak,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Russia's Defense Ministry said its forces shot down at least 31 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 15 over the Black Sea, two over Crimea and two over Krasnodar Krai, the Black Sea region in which Sochi is located.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Add boots and a leather jacket for dinner, throw on a cardigan and flats for the office, or keep it simple with loafers for a business lunch.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Don’t forget the statement Fair Isle from Favorite Daughter to pair with pleated skirts and leather loafers all season long.—
Kristina Rutkowski,
Glamour,
3 Sep. 2025
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
Noun
-
Millions of gastropods, like snails and mollusks from various species, died suddenly in Inle Lake.—
Lauren Liebhaber
September 5,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Some of the snail bodies have been painted gold.—
Hikmat Mohammed,
Footwear News,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Celebratory backslaps, encouraging bum-pats and the fall of opposition wickets celebrated en masse are often an indication of a team’s togetherness.—
James Wallace,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
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With both travel and programming budgets under pressure, all markets have to make a strong case to get buyer and seller bums on seats (or, more accurately, into screening booths and meeting rooms).—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
28 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Dreux has entrusted Alyssa with delivering Uche’s money before the first of the month—but instead, Alyssa has asked her layabout, freeloading boyfriend Keshawn (Joshua David Neal) to put the money in Uche’s hands.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
4 Apr. 2025
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Moore’s then-husband Bruce Willis plays against-type as the abusive layabout husband of hairdresser Joyce (Glenne Headly).—
Katie Rife,
EW.com,
2 Mar. 2025
Noun
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In a 10-minute-long Instagram video, the real estate developer rants about how the show portrayed him in a negative light, first accusing him of having financial problems, then painting him as a deadbeat stepdad.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
25 Aug. 2025
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Madsen starred in the two-parter's second entry as Budd, now a deadbeat bouncer living in a trailer.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
3 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Idler.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idler. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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