idleness

noun

Definition of idlenessnext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for idleness
  1. inertia
  2. inaction
  3. neglect
  4. indolence
  5. disuse
  6. abandonment
Noun
  • Satisfaction lulls companies into a dangerous state of inertia.
    Angelica Kopec, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
  • Sebastian Tong, a family physician with UW Medicine who studies loneliness, told Axios last month that people have to work harder to overcome social inertia when their interactions are mostly online.
    Melissa Santos, Axios, 28 Oct. 2024
Definition of inertia
Noun
  • Change through inaction Trump could also opt to bypass Congress.
    Julie Rovner, NPR, 21 Nov. 2024
  • Yes, Donald Trump urged congressional Republicans to reject the bill, but three years of inaction were a bigger issue for voters.
    Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
Definition of inaction
Noun
  • The abuse and neglect have long-lasting effects on an already vulnerable population and have even led to the conviction of some employees for violent crimes, the report says.
    Bianca Moreno-Paz, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
  • Kentucky has one of the highest rates of child abuse and neglect in the nation.
    Jenna Sundel, Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2024
Definition of neglect
Noun
  • The United States, however, has lost its capacity for self-government through stupendous intellectual indolence and the exaltation of puerilities, like Tayor Swift or Tom Brady, over thinkers like Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Marcus Aurelius, and Montaigne.
    Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 23 June 2024
  • If slouching among privileged white Americans could indicate an enviable carelessness, it was seen as proof of indolence when adopted by the disadvantaged.
    Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
Definition of indolence
Noun
  • Ironically, despite using several filmmaking techniques and styles from the silent era that have long since fallen into disuse, Shadow of the Vampire is a vital new lens through which to view the foundational vampire story.
    James Grebey, TIME, 18 Oct. 2024
  • After a fire in 2000, though, parts of it were thrown into disuse and left to ruin.
    Lale Arikoglu, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Aug. 2024
Definition of disuse
Noun
  • But the abandonment of patients is still happening every day, just in less visible ways, especially for individuals without life- or limb-threatening emergencies that require immediate intervention.
    Renee Hsia, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024
  • Well, if Eddie is thinking about relocating and upending Buck’s life, Buck already has abandonment issues stretching back ages, so this is going to have an effect on him.
    Andy Swift, TVLine, 21 Nov. 2024
Definition of abandonment
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near idleness

idled

idleness

idler

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Cite this Entry

“Idleness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idleness. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

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More from Merriam-Webster on idleness

Nglish: Translation of idleness for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of idleness for Arabic Speakers

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