IDLY Synonyms: 13 Similar and Opposite Words

idly

adverb

Definition of idly

as in sleepily

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of idly The Night Court will not stand idly by while innocents are attacked. — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 17 Aug. 2026 And, when the military was eventually deployed, the most visible intervention was thousands of armed men controlling traffic and standing idly by the ruins. — Stephania Taladrid, New Yorker, 20 July 2026 Gosha, a local station master, has a side-hustle of his own, turning a blind eye while bootleggers siphon diesel from the tankers that sit idly on the train tracks. — Damon Wise, Deadline, 11 July 2026 Leaning on Christos Stylianides’ tasteful trumpet and Jesse Chandler’s flute, the song finds the singer not waiting idly for life to pass by. — David Harris, SPIN, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for idly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for idly

sleepily

Adverb

The Guayrá was still covered in a thick mist at that early hour, but the man was out in the middle of the square, looking down into the well and thinking sleepily about something.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026
The vehicles parked outside Hereford House, a grand Victorian-era building, and a mass of figures emerged sleepily, lugging suitcases and mountains of musical equipment.

— Longreads, Longreads, 5 Mar. 2026

Definition of sleepily

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idling

idly

idol

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“Idly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idly. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of idly

adverb

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