as in inertia
an inclination not to do work or engage in activities
a general feeling of indolence usually overtakes them during summer vacation
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Recent Examples of indolence
Some part of Baudelaire’s lifelong free-spending and indolence seems to be a direct rebellion against the man, if not outright Freudian jealousy—Charles was an unabashed mama’s boy.
—
Literary Hub, 22 Dec. 2025
The Johnson Administration said the AFDC rewarded indolence, and condoned non-marital child bearing.
—Stephanie Land, Time, 30 Oct. 2025
Sennott and her costars speak with an irritatingly fake affect, are shallower than a puddle in the desert and prize selfishness, indolence and artifice.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
The idea of Irish indolence fused with a quasi-religious faith in the laws of the market to shape the British response to the famine.
—Fintan O'Toole, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for indolence
Literary Hub, 22 Dec. 2025
The Johnson Administration said the AFDC rewarded indolence, and condoned non-marital child bearing.
—Stephanie Land, Time, 30 Oct. 2025
Sennott and her costars speak with an irritatingly fake affect, are shallower than a puddle in the desert and prize selfishness, indolence and artifice.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
The idea of Irish indolence fused with a quasi-religious faith in the laws of the market to shape the British response to the famine.
—Fintan O'Toole, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for indolence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for indolence
Noun
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The Cuban model isn’t working, and its allies—China, Russia, and the pragmatic wing of Latin American progressivism—seem to have grown tired of the government’s inertia.—
Carlos Manuel Alvarez,
Time,
24 Apr. 2026
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In space, only inertia causes objects to move.—
Chelsea Gohd,
Space.com,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Score another point for laziness.—
Nathan Edwards,
The Verge,
26 Apr. 2026
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The issue isn’t laziness or indifference.—
Allison Palmer,
Charlotte Observer,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Indolence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/indolence. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
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