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
-
These aren’t failures of strategy—they’re natural expressions of behavioral inertia.—
Scott Hutcheson,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025 -
Many of these protagonists endure the tedium and humiliation of involuntary psychiatric hospitalizations, losing days and years to paralyzing inertia, and experiencing terrifying delusions of persecution and betrayal.—
Moira Donegan,
New Yorker,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Climate change is costly to ignore As the impacts of climate change grow in both frequency and magnitude, the costs of inaction are increasing.—
Paul Bierman,
The Conversation,
17 Mar. 2025
-
Advance understanding of the net cost of inaction, including an understanding of the compounding impacts of climate change on the global economy this century.—
David Vetter,
Forbes,
13 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
But ensuring they will be cared for properly can be difficult — especially if operators and providers accused of neglect and abuse are able to fly under the radar.—
Ryan Fonseca,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2025
-
Both were charged in 2019 with neglect of a dependent.—
Paul Du Quenoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Mar. 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 book is thematically framed by the two extremes of contemporary London: the charmed experiences of the elite, leisured classes in the West End and the extreme poverty and indolence of the East End.—
Sarah C. Schaefer,
Artforum,
1 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The rescission power fell into disuse under Bill Clinton.—
The Editors,
National Review,
10 Mar. 2025
-
But decades of disuse did not entirely dissipate their power.—
Nick Frisch,
Foreign Affairs,
17 May 2016
Noun
-
Natalia was evicted from the apartment a year later and the couple was hit with accusations of abandonment and several charges related to the neglect of a dependent.—
Amaris Encinas,
USA TODAY,
20 Mar. 2025
-
Volunteers advocate for children who have been removed from their home from either abuse, abandonment or neglect.—
Joe Rassel,
Orlando Sentinel,
19 Mar. 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 2 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share