loafing 1 of 3

adjective

as in lounging

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loafing

2 of 3

noun

as in lolling

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Dissimilar Words

loafing

3 of 3

verb

present participle of loaf
as in idling
to spend time doing nothing the kind of sultry August afternoon that makes you just want to loaf

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 loafing
Noun
The researchers concluded that at least one of the keys to preventing social loafing is restoring individual responsibility within a group. — Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 6 Apr. 2026
Verb
Kids who used to run to the field excited to play, suddenly started loafing to the field wearing their crocs with their heads buried in their phones. — Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 June 2026 The pair had been loafing for some time among a grove of apple trees on a private residence in Payson. — Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 20 Feb. 2026 Within a few moments, an antlerless deer emerged, loafing along toward Ronnie, completely unalarmed. — Jim Moore, Outdoor Life, 8 Oct. 2025 She is seen going over the shots planned for the next day and remembering that some loafing around is planned. — Chris Willman, Variety, 5 Oct. 2025 Martin removed his right fielder for loafing on a ball hit to the outfield. — Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loafing
  1. lethargic
  2. lounging
  3. idling
  4. loitering
  5. lolling
  6. lazing
  7. inactive
  8. resting
Adjective
  • No team wants to peak on the first Saturday, but our league loves a narrative and what happens right now sets a tone; Manchester United’s is discordant, flat, lethargic.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Female mice dosed with QACs lost interest in food, became lethargic and short of breath, and began to lose muscle control during late pregnancy.
    — Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of lethargic
Noun
  • Boothbay, Maine Three Flags, a 2021 contemporary shingle-style home on Midcoast Maine’s Linekin Bay, has a waterfront porch for dining and lounging, with a wood-burning fireplace and motorized screens.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 23 Aug. 2026
  • This 110-inch-wide sofa gives you plenty of room for family movie nights, weekend lounging, and nights with friends.
    — Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of lounging
Verb
  • Residents described idling in traffic as roads became jammed with evacuees.
    — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Not only that, unnecessary idling isn’t exactly great for your car’s engine.
    — Molly Burford, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of idling
Adjective
  • Some victim advocates say human trafficking along Figueroa has escalated since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rollback of anti-loitering laws.
    — Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Definition of loitering
Noun
  • The pup, named Eba, appeared immune to being rushed and trotted behind at the farthest extent of her leash, tongue lolling, black eyes squinting in the afternoon sun.
    — Kelso Harper, Scientific American, 16 Dec. 2025
  • After a few days of snorkeling and beach-lolling, the view from our helicopter transfer to the Miavana resort on the island of Nosy Ankao just off Madagascar’s northeast, painted an alarmingly different picture.
    — Chris Schalkx, Vogue, 30 Sep. 2025
Definition of lolling
Verb
  • The sense of just how much there is to do in this part of the world—the length of the scale between lazing and becoming ultra-active—is palpable.
    — Lauren Keith, Robb Report, 30 May 2026
  • Its clear, shallow waters were pleasant to wade into after lazing under one of the scrubby trees on the sand.
    — Lucy Handley, CNBC, 15 Nov. 2025
Definition of lazing
Adjective
  • These polar nanoclusters would ideally be electrically inactive but quickly respond to electrical fields and add tunability to the material’s properties when needed.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The product also contains benzalkonium chloride, boric acid, edetate disodium, purified water, sodium chloride and sodium citrate as inactive ingredients.
    — Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of inactive
Verb
  • But still there is a feeling of resting peacefully on the sea, looking into this fragile colour of my bedroom.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The benefit of so many starters resting is a continued look at the depth, and the Chiefs got that Saturday night.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of resting

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loafers
loafing
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Cite this Entry

“Loafing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loafing. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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