IDLY Synonyms: 13 Similar and Opposite Words

idly

adverb

Definition of idly

as in sleepily

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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 idly Well, Elmo wasn't going to stand idly by and watch his head on a pike get paraded through the streets of New York, and for the USMNT's game against Australia, the little red third-person-talking Muppet picked a side. — Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 19 June 2026 But that doesn't mean recipients and future recipients should sit idly, either. — Matt Richardson, CBS News, 10 June 2026 Central and South American drug-smuggling cartels, harried by almost a year of lethal attacks on their maritime smuggling networks, are unlikely to sit idly by for much longer. — Craig Hooper, Forbes.com, 8 June 2026 No matter how strong the brand’s fanbase is, no company can sit idly by while its industry changes. — Phil Wahba, Fortune, 29 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for idly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for idly

sleepily

Adverb

The vehicles parked outside Hereford House, a grand Victorian-era building, and a mass of figures emerged sleepily, lugging suitcases and mountains of musical equipment.

— Longreads, Longreads, 5 Mar. 2026
At first, the reception started out, well, sleepily.

— Katherine Laidlaw, HubSpot, 14 Nov. 2025

Definition of sleepily

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idling

idly

idol

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“Idly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idly. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of idly

adverb

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