Synonyms

idly

American

[ahyd-lee] / ˈaɪd li /

adverb

without taking action or showing concern.

We cannot stand idly by and let evil prevail!
without apparent purpose or intention; aimlessly.

He would tinker idly in his workshop for hours.
in a lazy way; indolently.

Neither of them does anything much in life besides live idly or recklessly.

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of idly

id(le) ( def. ) + -ly

Explanation

Acting idly means behaving in a lazy, slow, or aimless way. Your idea of a perfect vacation might be lying idly on the beach all day. If you're idly chatting with your friend, there's a casual, nonchalant tone to your conversation, and if you lounge idly on the couch on Saturday morning, you're lazing around with no real purpose. The adverb idly describes any action that isn't particularly active, and it comes from idle, "lazy or unemployed," and its Germanic root meaning "worthless."

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Vocabulary lists containing idly

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Idly, she cast her gaze across the oceans to the only land-mass visible.

From Nature • Jun. 30, 2020

Idly happy in her own house, she is finishing the patchwork she has been sewing.

From Economist • Nov. 9, 2017

We cannot sit Idly by nor will we speak silently when we are confronted with such violence against members of our community.

From Time • Jan. 3, 2017

Rabbi Joel Mosbacher, who co-chairs the Metro Industrial Areas Foundation’s Do Not Stand Idly By campaign, called the new actions “real” and “well thought through.”

From Washington Post • Apr. 29, 2016

Idly, she picks up the snake and flicks the forks of its felt tongue.

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023