# idleness

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈaɪdəlnəs/ · frequency rank #54,244

## Definitions
1. The state of being idle; inactivity.
2. The state of being indolent; indolence.
3. Groundlessness; worthlessness; triviality; vanity; frivolity.

## 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”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/idleness