idleness

[ahy-dl-nis]

noun

1. the quality, state, or condition of being lazy, inactive, or idle.

   His lack of interest in the larger world and his consummate idleness were the causes of their dreadful divorce.

Word History and Origins

Origin of idleness¹

before 1000; idle ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )

Example Sentences

Gen. Harrison Gray Otis, the famously combative owner of the Los Angeles Times, published an editorial in 1882 warning: “Don’t feed the worthless chaps. It only encourages them in their idleness and viciousness.”

From Los Angeles Times

The fifth Puritan credo that’s still with us is "hard work is holy, while idleness is a sin."

From Salon

De Bascher was the opposite, a dandy who enjoyed dissolute idleness with an elegant insouciance.

From New York Times

They contend that the women in Cassatt’s paintings could only be accused of idleness by people who are ignorant about the wearying demands of child care and housekeeping.

From New York Times

Save for a throwaway comment Jada makes about Michael and Jacob coming from money, “Zoomers” acts as if the wealth needed to afford all of this idleness and self-therapizing is a given for young people.

From New York Times