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
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idleness
Noun
-
Break inertia with quick decisions and immediate action.—
Veronica Angela,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025 -
The same inertia that once held you back can eventually work in your favor.—
Ryan Ermey,
CNBC,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The piece was impossible to grasp in its totality, much as the forces contributing to the deterioration of the environment are difficult for us as humans to apprehend, which pushes us toward inaction or neglect.—
Naima Morelli,
Artforum,
1 May 2025
-
The cost of inaction far outweighs the cost of implementation.—
Richard Danforth,
Forbes.com,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
After years of neglect and mismanagement that allowed the building to fall into disrepair, the Mayfair’s new owner has invested or raised millions of dollars to make improvements in the building.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
21 Apr. 2025
-
Police in Ogden, Utah, along with Ogden Animal Services officers responded to a residence in the 3000 block of Jefferson Avenue after receiving a report of possible animal neglect, according to an Ogden City Police Department press release.—
Jon Haworth,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
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
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
-
Volunteers advocate for children who have been removed from their home from either abuse, abandonment or neglect.—
Joe Rassel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
7 May 2025
-
The children’s parents — identified as a 53-year-old German man and his 48-year-old American wife, who also owned a German passport — were arrested and charged with domestic violence with habitual psychological abuse and child abandonment, according to police, per ABC.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
People.com,
1 May 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Idleness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idleness. Accessed 15 May. 2025.
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