Meanings
nounidler (plural idlers)
plural idlers
- One who idles; one who spends their time in inaction.
- datednauticalAny member of a ship's crew who is not required to keep the night-watch.
- A mechanical device such as a pulley or wheel that does not transmit power through its own axle, but forms part of a gear train, supports a moving belt, etc.
FOR SALE AT A BARGAIN. […] Four run stones, Munson underrunners, 3 ft diameter. […] All with idlers and in the best condition.
1890, The Northwestern Miller, volume 29, page 563
Synonyms & antonyms
Similar
bumcouch potatodawdlerdeadbeatdogfuckerdo-naughtdo-nothingdosseridletonfaineantflaneurfootlerget-nothinggood-for-nothinggoldbrickergoof-offlallygaglollygaggerlaggardlayaboutlazy asslazyboneslazy louselidderonlie-abedloaferloiter-sacklounge lizardloungermoreporkne'er-do-wellpoopragabashshirkerskiverslackerslobslow bellyslugslugabedslug-a-bedslugabugsluggabedsluggardsofa spudtarriertruantwastemanwasterwastrel
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Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Bulgarian безделник, лентяй
- безделник (bezdelnik)one who spends his or her time in inaction
- лентяй (lentjaj)one who spends his or her time in inaction
- ленивец (lenivec)one who is lazy; a sluggard
- мързеливец (mărzelivec)one who is lazy; a sluggard
- направляваща ролка (napravljavašta rolka)rotary supporting device
Catalan ociós, mandrós
- ociósone who spends his or her time in inaction
- mandrósone who is lazy; a sluggard
Chinese Mandarin 懶惰者 /懒惰者
- 懶惰者 /懒惰者 (lǎnduò zhě)one who is lazy; a sluggard
Czech flákač, zahaleč
- flákačone who spends his or her time in inaction
- zahalečone who spends his or her time in inaction
- lenochone who is lazy; a sluggard
Danish drivert
- drivertone who is lazy; a sluggard
Dutch luiaard
- luiaardone who spends his or her time in inaction
Finnish tyhjäntoimittaja, joutomies
- tyhjäntoimittajaone who spends his or her time in inaction
- joutomiesone who spends his or her time in inaction
- laiskurione who is lazy; a sluggard
- tukipyörärotary supporting device
French fainéant, fainéante
- fainéantone who spends his or her time in inaction
- fainéanteone who spends his or her time in inaction
- fainéantone who is lazy; a sluggard
- fainéanteone who is lazy; a sluggard
German untätiger Mitarbeiter, untätige Mitarbeiterin
- untätiger Mitarbeiterone who spends his or her time in inaction
- untätige Mitarbeiterinone who spends his or her time in inaction
- Faulpelzone who is lazy; a sluggard
- Faulenzerone who is lazy; a sluggard
- Faulenzerinone who is lazy; a sluggard
- Drohneone who is lazy; a sluggard
Hindi कामचोर
- कामचोर (kāmcor)one who is lazy; a sluggard
Hungarian naplopó, semmittevő
- naplopóone who spends his or her time in inaction
- semmittevőone who spends his or her time in inaction
Icelandic letihaugur
- letihaugurone who is lazy; a sluggard
Italian fannullone, scansafatiche
- fannulloneone who is lazy; a sluggard
- scansafaticheone who is lazy; a sluggard
- sfaticatoone who is lazy; a sluggard
- poltroneone who is lazy; a sluggard
- pigroneone who is lazy; a sluggard
- sfaccendatoone who is lazy; a sluggard
- oziosoone who is lazy; a sluggard
Latin cessātor
- cessātorone who spends his or her time in inaction
Māori inukorokoro, parakūkā
- inukorokoroone who spends his or her time in inaction
- parakūkāone who spends his or her time in inaction
- kaipāweone who spends his or her time in inaction
- kaiparoone who spends his or her time in inaction
- kaipaoeone who spends his or her time in inaction
- kaihauone who spends his or her time in inaction
- karioione who spends his or her time in inaction
- māngereone who spends his or her time in inaction
- hakureaone who spends his or her time in inaction
- piroreheone who spends his or her time in inaction
- inukorokoroone who is lazy; a sluggard
Russian тунея́дец, безде́льник
- тунея́дец (tunejádec)one who spends his or her time in inaction
- безде́льник (bezdélʹnik)one who is lazy; a sluggard
- лентя́й (lentjáj)one who is lazy; a sluggard
Scottish Gaelic leisgeadair
- leisgeadairone who spends his or her time in inaction
Spanish ocioso, holgazán
- ociosoone who spends his or her time in inaction
- holgazánone who is lazy; a sluggard
- flojoone who is lazy; a sluggard
- remolónone who is lazy; a sluggard
- comodónone who is lazy; a sluggard
- zánganoone who is lazy; a sluggard
Tagalog bulakbol, istambay
- bulakbolone who is lazy; a sluggard
- istambayone who is lazy; a sluggard
- sampiyadone who is lazy; a sluggard
Tamil சோம்பேறி
- சோம்பேறி (cōmpēṟi)one who is lazy; a sluggard
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
idler. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/idler
MLA
“idler.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/idler. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “idler,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/idler.
Source: idler on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.