idly
Americanadverb
-
without taking action or showing concern.
We cannot stand idly by and let evil prevail!
-
without apparent purpose or intention; aimlessly.
He would tinker idly in his workshop for hours.
-
in a lazy way; indolently.
Neither of them does anything much in life besides live idly or recklessly.
Other Word Forms
- overidly adverb
- unidly adverb
Etymology
Origin of idly
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Later, Evans learned Banks for years stood idly by as the young model was passed over for opportunities.
From Los Angeles Times
Maddox Batson sits in a swivel chair in a West Hollywood recording studio on a recent evening, spinning idly as his mother and manager go over their plans for the next few days.
From Los Angeles Times
No government would sit idly by as its citizens were subjected to such unfathomable horrors.
“We can no longer sit idly by while our rural communities go without help. They deserve solutions and security, not another decade of inaction and uncertainty.”
From Los Angeles Times
“My pleasure,” he says, idly swiping his phone.
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
