Added 9 October 2026
idleness
/ˈaɪdəlnəs/ noun
In Latin: ōtium Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about idleness at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- The state of being idle; inactivity.
- The state of being indolent; indolence.
- Groundlessness; worthlessness; triviality; vanity; frivolity.
Origin
From Middle English ydelnesse, from Old English īdelnes, from Proto-West Germanic *īdlanassī, equivalent to idle + -ness. Cognate with Old Frisian īdelnisse (“idelness”), obsolete Dutch ijdelnis, Old Saxon īdalnussi (“idleness, vanity”), Old High German ītalnissa (“idleness, vanity, emptiness”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)