1
as in inertia
an inclination not to do work or engage in activities
the brothers' innate idleness meant that neither did much, either inside or outside their ramshackle cabin
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in inaction
lack of action or activity
a day spent in idleness is nice, but a month of doing nothing is boring!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in neglect
lack of use
the idleness of the machine was apparent by its thick layer of dust
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of idleness
This patience is watchfulness, not idleness.
—
Francois Botha, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
All of which could lead to so much work that a man like Wyatt Harper might never have another day of idleness again.
—Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
Francois Botha, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
All of which could lead to so much work that a man like Wyatt Harper might never have another day of idleness again.
—Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idleness
Noun
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More modern power resources, like wind, solar, and batteries, don't involve inertia, because they are digitally controlled.—
Julia Simon,
NPR,
8 Oct. 2025
-
The inertia continues despite economic and regulatory headwinds across the world that threaten to impact sales and product strategies.—
Eileen Falkenberg-Hull,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Durbin, who is set to retire in two years, said the impact of inaction will soon be felt in his home state.—
Leila Fadel,
NPR,
9 Oct. 2025
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Outsourcing the job to non-state actors allows aggressors to avoid activating the terms that trigger action in security alliances, making the reputational damage of inaction by the security guarantor much lower.—
Omar Al-Ubaydli,
semafor.com,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The postpartum period has long been a time of profound neglect for mothers in America, but fortunately, that’s beginning to change—albeit slowly.—
Erin Bunch,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
9 Oct. 2025
-
Tiki, who experienced severe neglect before his rescue, has slowly revealed his curious, silly, and loving side to his new family.—
Kelli Bender,
PEOPLE,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The world does seem full of unhappiness and tragedy, much of it human-caused, either through outright cruelty or through the indolence of our illusions.—
Philip Metres
July 30,
Literary Hub,
30 July 2025
-
Their waiter’s indolence meant a long wait even for menus, yet neither of them let drop a word of complaint.—
Jim Shepard,
New Yorker,
8 June 2025
Noun
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All points expire after 12 months of inactivity and Notes expire 12 months after they are issued.—
Jason Stauffer,
CNBC,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Its auto-pause technology is a special feature that prevents overheating by stopping airflow after three seconds of inactivity.—
Izzy Baskette,
PEOPLE,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
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As the demand for Ghana’s goods decreased, so did the need for the industrial railway line, leading to its disuse.—
Edna Bonhomme,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025
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The muscles in his arms started to atrophy from disuse.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In some cases, that can be attributed to egregious abandonment or benign neglect.—
Justin Worland,
Time,
10 Oct. 2025
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Former Uvalde school district police chief Pete Arredondo, who was the on-site commander at Robb Elementary School on the day of the shooting, and former school officer Adrian Gonzales, were charged in June 2024 with multiple counts of child endangerment and abandonment.—
Megan Forrester,
ABC News,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Also true, however, is that a certain laziness now attends DiCaprio’s work onscreen.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Oct. 2025
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Slackers aren’t a monolith, these films suggest, and their creed is more than just a hipster variant of laziness.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
27 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Idleness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idleness. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.
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