Meaning & use

idleness

noun·Advanced

Last updated

the state of not being active or in use; the quality of being lazy or without occupation.

See it in a sentence

Years of idleness had left the old factory equipment rusted and useless.

He grew restless during his enforced idleness while recovering from surgery.

A note on using this word

Can describe either a temporary, circumstantial lack of activity or a person's habitual laziness, so context matters.

Words with a similar meaning

inactivitylaziness

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

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