indolence

American  

[in-dl-uhns] / ˈɪn dl əns /

noun

1. the quality or state of being indolent.

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Etymology

Origin of indolence

1595–1605; < Latin indolentia freedom from pain; see indolent, -ence

Explanation

If your boss catches you sleeping with your head on your desk, she's likely to comment on your indolence. Indolence is another word for laziness. The noun indolence means a habit of laziness, especially when avoiding work. In the 1600s, indolence was mostly used to mean "insensitivity to pain," from the Latin indolentia, "freedom from pain." About 100 years later, indolence came to have its current meaning, possibly because of the phrase "taking pains," which means "being careful." If you are so careful that you never leave the house, people might think of you as lazy.

Example Sentences

I’ve spent the last 40-odd years trying to fight the good fight against the forces of indolence and greed to do the best with our stuff that you can do.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 5, 2024

Recently, during a dramatic meeting of the Sunshine Committee when a member resigned over lawmakers’ yearslong indolence on acting on its recommendations, another member, David Zeeck, shared the frustration.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 10, 2023

One of Diski’s great subjects was her own indolence.

From New York Times • Apr. 12, 2021

For some, the notion of an isolated, utterly private Caribbean atoll may conjure up fantasies of tropical indolence — chaise longues on a white-sand beach, umbrella drinks and perhaps a paperback.

From Washington Post • Apr. 1, 2021

It gave Hazel an impression of good feeding, of health and of a certain indolence, as though the other came from some rich, prosperous country where he himself had never been.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams