Definition of IDLENESS

idleness

Plural: idlenesses

Noun

  • The state of being inactive or doing nothing.
  • having no employment
  • the quality of lacking substance or value
  • the trait of being idle out of a reluctance to work
  • The state of being idle; inactivity.
  • The state of being indolent; indolence.
  • Groundlessness; worthlessness; triviality; vanity; frivolity.

Examples

  • Idleness on the board allowed my opponent to strategically build up their score.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English ydelnesse, from Old English īdelnes, from Proto-West Germanic *īdalnassī, 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”).

Scrabble Score: 9

idleness: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
idleness: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
idleness: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 11

idleness: valid Words With Friends Word