idly
Americanadverb
-
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
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."
Vocabulary lists containing idly
Bridge to Terabithia
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Island of the Blue Dolphins
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myPerspectives 9.3
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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.
"They had conscience and couldn't observe idly while what they fought for what had been hijacked by Isaias and his coterie," says Ibrahim.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
Ibrahimovic would also post a video of himself and Henry doing some virtuoso juggling as Lalas stood idly by, the implication being that the two guys who call it football know what they’re doing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
As he talks, Ness idly strums the latest addition to his collection of guitars: a 1956 Gibson Les Paul Custom that he says cost him $50,000.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2026
He now spends the long hours idly scrolling through his phone or chatting with neighbours.
From Barron's ● May 4, 2026
Harry was sitting in the tent entrance, on guard duty, staring idly at a clump of grape hyacinths that had forced their way through the chilly ground, when Ron shouted excitedly from inside the tent.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
