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.
Anthony Elanga sliced through Liverpool for the first then six of Iraola's team stood idly by as Yoane Wissa and Joe Willock combined for the second.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
This isn’t to say the Rays and Brewers sat idly over the past few days.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 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
A spade rested on his mud-splattered shoulder, and he spun it idly as he gazed down at us.
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
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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.
