Meanings
verbsit idly by (third-person singular simple present sits idly by, present participle sitting idly by, simple past and past participle sat idly by)
present singular third person sits idly by · participle present sitting idly by · participle past sat idly by · past sat idly by
- To remain close or stand aside while refraining from acting or intervening.
Synonyms: sit by
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo remain close or stand aside while refraining from acting or intervening.
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Translations
Arabic وَقَفَ مَكْتُوفَ اليَدَيْن
- وَقَفَ مَكْتُوفَ اليَدَيْن (waqafa maktūfa l-yadayn)Translations
Cite this entry
APA
sit idly by. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sit%20idly%20by
MLA
“sit idly by.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sit%20idly%20by. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sit idly by,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sit%20idly%20by.
Source: sit idly by on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.