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
-
Snails can look like little elephants, slugs can look like fish, and worms can look like swimming chandeliers.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Sep. 2025
-
The reflective foil discourages unwanted insects and pests like slugs from approaching and harming the plants, but actually helps to attract butterflies.—
Darcy Lenz,
Southern Living,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
In military settings, electronic warfare (EW) units use powerful transmitters to broadcast noise or false signals on the same frequencies, overwhelming or confusing the drone’s receiver.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Oct. 2025
-
On September 24, airports in Denmark and Norway were closed after drones appeared in the sky.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
While a proper selection of fall shoes should include boots, sneakers, and loafers, clogs have also earned their spot on the list of wardrobe staples.—
Rachel Trujillo,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Sam Edelman Lucca Loafer A great loafer worn on the streets of the Brera is so very Milanese.—
Nneya Richards,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Oct. 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
-
Many springs feature a visible boil at the water surface above the spring vent, crystal clear water, submerged grasses waving in the current, and a range of fish, turtles, snails and other aquatic animals hiding in the grasses.—
Christopher F. Meindl,
The Conversation,
3 Oct. 2025
-
In our lives how many things are like the snail, never thought of?—
Victoria Chang,
The New York Review of Books,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Cora planned for his players to test the right fielder’s bum elbow — the Red Sox always attack pinstriped vulnerabilities on the basepaths — and sure enough Nick Sogard turned a single into a double in the seventh because Judge can’t throw the ball.—
Ian O'Connor,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
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Among them are South Korean’s CIA Director (Ryoo Seung-bum) and the Japanese Deputy Minister of Transport (Takayuki Yamada).—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
20 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The revolution is in tatters, and DiCaprio’s Bob, once a celebrity rebel, is now a benignly useless substance-using layabout who tries, in his shambling way, to take care of his and Perfidia’s daughter, Willa (played with a no-nonsense radiance by Chase Infiniti).—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
17 Sep. 2025
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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
Noun
-
Jeremiah is slutting it up with Steven’s colleagues and Taylor’s friends and generally embracing life as a once-and-future deadbeat.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Michael Mando was a relatively minor player in the Orphan Black universe, appearing in early seasons as Vic, Sarah's deadbeat ex-boyfriend.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Idler.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idler. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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