idleness en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
- /ˈaɪdəlnəs/
Etymology
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”).
Meanings
- (countable, uncountable) The state of being idle; inactivity.
-
(countable, uncountable) The state of being indolent; indolence.
For either they be puffed vp vvith pride, / Or fraught vvith enuie that their galls do ſvvell, / Or they their dayes to ydleneſſe diuide, / Or drovvnded lie in pleaſures vvaſtefull vvell, / In vvhich like Moldvvarps [i.e., moles] nouſling ſtill they lurke, / Vnmyndfull of chiefe parts of manlineſſe, / And do themſelues for vvant of other vvorke, / Vaine votaries of laeſie loue profeſſe, […]
1595, Ed. Spencer [i.e., Edmund Spenser], Colin Clouts Come Home Againe, London: […] T[homas] C[reede] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, signature D3, verso:
- (countable, uncountable) Groundlessness; worthlessness; triviality; vanity; frivolity.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| idlenesses | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
eat the bread of idleness · love-in-idleness
Relateds
Translations (74)
it ozio (state of being idle; inactivity) · fi turhuus (groundlessness; worthlessness; triviality) · enm ydelnesse (state of being idle; inactivity) · it inutilità (groundlessness; worthlessness; triviality) · de Müßiggang (state of being idle; inactivity) · ka უქნარობა (state of being idle; inactivity) · pl bezczynność (state of being idle; inactivity) · ota كسل (state of being indolent) · ka უმაქნისობა (state of being idle; inactivity) · it indolenza (state of being indolent) · ru леность (state of being indolent) · ota تنبللك (state of being indolent) · it pigrizia (state of being indolent) · fr inactivité (state of being idle; inactivity) · enm ydelschipe (state of being idle; inactivity) · sh dokolica (state of being idle; inactivity) · es inactividad (state of being idle; inactivity) · fr trivialité (groundlessness; worthlessness; triviality) · fr indolence (state of being indolent) · fi velttous (state of being indolent) · ru безде́лье (state of being idle; inactivity) · fi vetelyys (state of being indolent) · de Nutzlosigkeit (groundlessness; worthlessness; triviality) · de Arbeitsunwilligkeit (state of being indolent) · de Untätigkeit (state of being idle; inactivity) · hi निष्क्रियता (state of being idle; inactivity) · pt ócio (state of being idle; inactivity) · pt inatividade (state of being idle; inactivity) · gl indolencia (state of being indolent) · ca inactivitat (state of being idle; inactivity) · it oziosità (state of being indolent) · sv sysslolöshet (state of being idle; inactivity) · es indolencia (state of being indolent) · fr oisiveté (state of being idle; inactivity) · ru просто́й (state of being idle; inactivity) · fr inutilité (groundlessness; worthlessness; triviality) · ug بىكارچىلىق (state of being indolent) · ru праздность (state of being indolent) · nl ledigheid (state of being idle; inactivity) · ko 한가 (state of being idle; inactivity) · de Trägheit (state of being indolent) · cy segurdod (state of being idle; inactivity) · ga leisce (state of being indolent) · de Stillstand (state of being idle; inactivity) · enm ydelnesse (state of being indolent) · la dēsidia (state of being indolent) · fi joutilaisuus (state of being idle; inactivity) · la ōtium (state of being idle; inactivity) · ru бесполезность (groundlessness; worthlessness; triviality) · az avaraçılıq (state of being indolent) · ka უსაქმურობა (state of being idle; inactivity) · vo nosdun (state of being idle; inactivity) · gl inactividade (state of being idle; inactivity) · ca indolència (state of being indolent) · txb ālasäññe (state of being idle; inactivity) · bg безделие (state of being indolent) · enm ydelschipe (groundlessness; worthlessness; triviality) · ga díomhaointeas (state of being idle; inactivity) · cs zahálka (state of being idle; inactivity) · de Indolenz (state of being indolent) · pt indolência (state of being indolent) · az bekarçılıq (state of being indolent) · ru бесплодность (groundlessness; worthlessness; triviality) · enm ydelnesse (groundlessness; worthlessness; triviality) · fr futilité (groundlessness; worthlessness; triviality) · got 𐌻𐌰𐍄𐌴𐌹 (state of being idle; inactivity) · es holganza (state of being idle; inactivity) · bg бездействие (state of being idle; inactivity) · ota هایلازلق (state of being indolent) · de Faulheit (state of being indolent) · de Untätigkeit (state of being idle; inactivity) · got 𐌻𐌰𐍄𐌴𐌹 (state of being indolent) · vo trög (state of being indolent) · enm ydelschipe (state of being indolent)