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
  • 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
  • Home runs are king in the postseason, but that’s where Caminero comes in, with Liam Hicks, Yandy Díaz and Jonathan Aranda also offering some slug.
    — Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of slug
Noun
  • Authorities also reported drones and missiles were intercepted and destroyed near the capital, Riyadh, and the country’s southern region.
    — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The exchange of threats comes as Saudi Arabia investigates why its air defenses failed to intercept a barrage of missiles and drones fired by the Houthis.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 14 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
  • While the imagery around the show was overtly erotic, from the footage of mating snails and kissing bodies to the music and the projections, the clothes themselves were less about baring skin than creating a sense of sensuality.
    — Amy Francombe, Vogue, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Similarly, snail shells almost always spiral in the same direction for every snail species.
    — Mallory Green, The Conversation, 8 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
  • 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 14 Oct. 2026.

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