Definition of IDLENESS

idleness

Meanings

Plural: idlenesses

Noun

  • 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.

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

Words With Friends Score: 11

idleness is a valid Words With Friends word