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

Multiple residents warned of "idleness" among the youth, who face high unemployment.

Read more on Barron's

Now under state ownership, productivity is low compared to competitors both in the UK and abroad, not due to idleness but because workers don't have the equipment they need to do their job efficiently.

Read more on BBC

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.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

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

Read more on Salon

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

Read more on New York Times