adjective
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serving no useful purpose
otiose language
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rare indolent; lazy
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of otiose
First recorded in 1785–95; from Latin ōtiōsus “at leisure, inactive, undisturbed,” equivalent to ōti(um) “leisure, spare time” + -ōsus adjective suffix; see -ose 1
Explanation
Otiose is a colorful, although somewhat old-fashioned, word for "lazy." It also means serving no useful purpose: that steak knife next to your plate is otiose if you're having oatmeal for dinner. Otiose, which can be pronounced either with a t sound (OH-tee-ohs) or a sh sound (OH-she-ohs), comes from the Latin word otium "leisure," but its modern meaning is closer to "leisure suit," that is, useless and not very handsome. If you're already wearing suspenders, then a belt is otiose.
Vocabulary lists containing otiose
Good Riddance
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100 SAT words Beginning with "O"
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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.
Otiose, o′shi-ōs, adj. unoccupied: lazy: done in a careless way, perfunctory, futile.—n.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R) by Various
Definitions 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.
