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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idleness
Noun
-
Someone who is depressed can often wake up feeling fatigued, and the sleep inertia that normally lasts around 20 minutes for someone who is not depressed can instead last several hours, Harvey said.—
Taylor Nicioli,
CNN,
14 Mar. 2025 -
Clark points to cost, complexity, and inertia.—
Dan Pontefract,
Forbes,
13 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Cena's subsequent denial and inaction as Kane pushed Ryder off the Raw stage further tarnished his heroic image.—
Newsweek Staff,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Apr. 2025
-
Every action, inaction, meeting, email and conversation either intentionally builds trust or unintentionally erodes it.—
Alex Draper,
Forbes.com,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Biden administration officials said the staffing rule was intended to limit cases of resident neglect or delays in care.—
Ken Alltucker,
USA Today,
8 Apr. 2025
-
People who’ve grown up with difficult family dynamics, emotional neglect or trauma may find comfort in someone who has walked a similar path.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The government insisted that the corn be sold rather than given away (free food would merely reinforce Irish indolence), and those who received it had little idea at first how to cook it.—
Fintan O'Toole,
The New Yorker,
10 Mar. 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
Noun
-
The rescission power fell into disuse under Bill Clinton.—
The Editors,
National Review,
10 Mar. 2025
-
So many mainstream film characters, especially ones assigned to women, act like windup dolls that sputter into disuse when their scenes end.—
Julia Whelan Emma Kehlbeck Joel Thibodeau,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The yelling is absolutely inexcusable and will indeed continue this, causing more harm and feelings of abandonment.—
David Faris,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Apr. 2025
-
Eliminating the growing risk of cart abandonment is crucial for businesses to reach their short and long-term goals.—
Asaf Darash,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Idleness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idleness. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share