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
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2
as in inaction
lack of action or activity
a day spent in idleness is nice, but a month of doing nothing is boring!
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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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idleness
Noun
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Another is that cultural and societal inertia tends to spell slow adoption.—
Eric Siegel,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025 -
At an organizational level, the prevailing culture can also entrench certain paths, sidelining new ideas, and leading to institutional inertia.—
François Candelon,
Fortune,
11 July 2025
Noun
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Similar legislation introduced in the two previous Congresses died from inaction.—
Kevin R. Kosar,
The Washington Examiner,
4 July 2025
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This violence is designed to intimidate public servants into inaction.—
Bob Morgan,
Chicago Tribune,
4 July 2025
Noun
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Police always investigate a drowning to rule out cases of abuse or extreme neglect, but an absent-minded parent accidentally forgetting to lock the pool gate or door to the backyard was unlikely to land them behind bars, Hoskin said.—
Elena Santa Cruz,
AZCentral.com,
12 July 2025
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Not only in the United States, where academic medical centers (AMCs) are strained by politics, profit models and bureaucracy—but also in countries like Mexico, where health systems are crumbling under neglect and underfunding.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 July 2025
Noun
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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
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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
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After falling into disuse in the late 20th century, the Corn Exchange has undergone a thoughtful revival.—
David Nikel,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
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Many vineyards fell into disuse and were abandoned during Prohibition, which lasted from 1920 until December 1933.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
3 June 2025
Noun
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But that still didn’t make up for the abandonment felt by a town whose rhythms for generations revolved around regular papal visits.—
Dario Artale,
Chicago Tribune,
6 July 2025
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Now 18, the Ethiopia native who was adopted by the Bevins in 2012 and filed for an emergency protective order earlier this month is seeking long-term protective orders against them over his allegations of abuse and abandonment.—
Lucas Aulbach,
The Courier-Journal,
2 July 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Idleness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idleness. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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