Idly
adverb
Without doing anything or without serious attention.
She idly flicked through a magazine
Often appears as...
- idly stand by
- idly sitting
adverb
Not working or active.
Machinery lying idly around the factory
Often appears as...
- idly lying
- idly turning
Usage tips
Technical
adverb
Without purpose or effect.
Time idly wasted
Often appears as...
- idly wasted
- idly spent
Usage tips
Disapproving
adverb
Without doing anything or without serious attention.
She idly flicked through a magazine
Often appears as...
- idly stand by
- idly sitting
adverb
Not working or active.
Machinery lying idly around the factory
Often appears as...
- idly lying
- idly turning
Usage tips
Technical
adverb
Without purpose or effect.
Time idly wasted
Often appears as...
- idly wasted
- idly spent
Usage tips
Disapproving
Definition 1 of 3
Pro Tip 1/3Informal Usage
Often used in casual conversation rather than formal writing.
He was idly chatting with friends.
Pro Tip 2/3Lack of Interest
Implies minimal attention or concern about the action.
She listened to the lecture idly, not really caring.
Pro Tip 3/3No Intention
Actions done idly often lack a specific purpose or goal.
They idly wandered around the park with no destination.
Pro Tip 1/3Informal Usage
Often used in casual conversation rather than formal writing.
He was idly chatting with friends.
Pro Tip 2/3Lack of Interest
Implies minimal attention or concern about the action.
She listened to the lecture idly, not really caring.
Pro Tip 3/3No Intention
Actions done idly often lack a specific purpose or goal.
They idly wandered around the park with no destination.
Pro Tip 1/3Informal Usage
Often used in casual conversation rather than formal writing.
He was idly chatting with friends.
Pro Tip 2/3Lack of Interest
Implies minimal attention or concern about the action.
She listened to the lecture idly, not really caring.
Pro Tip 3/3No Intention
Actions done idly often lack a specific purpose or goal.
They idly wandered around the park with no destination.
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Video examples
Gary Kovacs: Tracking...
this is me being a parent. Imagine in the physical world if somebody followed our children around with a camera and a notebook and recorded their every movement. I can tell you, there isn't a person in this room that would sit idly by. We'd take action. It may not be good action, but we would take action. We can't sit idly by here either.
Video examples
Tracking the trackers -...
this is no longer me being a tech pioneer or a privacy advocate this is me being a parent imagine in the physical world if somebody followed our children around with a camera and a notebook and recorded their every movement I can tell you there isn't a person in this room that would sit idly by we'd take action
Video examples
What percentage of your...
their function elusive. We've since learned that they underscore executive and integrative ability, without which, we would hardly be human. They are crucial to abstract reasoning, planning, weighing decisions and flexibly adapting to circumstances. The idea that 9/10 of your brain sits idly by in your skull
Video examples
Erika Pinheiro: What's...
but they wouldn't even tell me if she was there. I went from supervisor to supervisor, begging to submit evidence of Anna's son's special needs, but no one would even talk to me about the case. It felt surreal to watch the shoppers strolling idly by what felt like a life-and-death situation.
Video examples
The making of cosmic...
electrons were interacting so that the universe was opaque for much the same reason that you can't see through the Sun but that cosmic soup isn't just sitting around idly tiny variations in the density of the universe eventually will grow to be all the structures we
Video examples
Best Snow Animals PIPE Top...
newly hatched chicks can expect very little from their fathers after four months of fasting there is nothing solid in a male stomach but he is able to produce a protein which secretion but that is very enough to keep a chicken idly weak fattened up
Video examples
You don't have to be an...
I was appalled by the possibility of this city of bright and vivid sunsets being overrun by a dull haze. At that moment, I felt an urge to do something about it, but I didn't know what. All I knew was I couldn't just stand idly by.
Video examples
Visions of Africa's...
How would your life change? Now replace internet access with electricity. Think of your fridges, your TVs, your microwaves, just sitting idly for days. Now extend this nightmare to government offices,
Video examples
Safari Live - Day 284 PIPE...
should be idly twelve well I mean 24 hours ago and a lot could have happened between that time and now look in the movement of the 3rd Nile lioness that tells you lots of communication between
Video examples
A creative solution for...
where eight state and city employees were facing charges as serious as manslaughter. I could no longer idly stand by and wait for the government to do its job.
Video examples
Gary Kovacs: Tracking...
this is me being a parent. Imagine in the physical world if somebody followed our children around with a camera and a notebook and recorded their every movement. I can tell you, there isn't a person in this room that would sit idly by. We'd take action. It may not be good action, but we would take action. We can't sit idly by here either.
Video examples
Tracking the trackers -...
this is no longer me being a tech pioneer or a privacy advocate this is me being a parent imagine in the physical world if somebody followed our children around with a camera and a notebook and recorded their every movement I can tell you there isn't a person in this room that would sit idly by we'd take action
Video examples
What percentage of your...
their function elusive. We've since learned that they underscore executive and integrative ability, without which, we would hardly be human. They are crucial to abstract reasoning, planning, weighing decisions and flexibly adapting to circumstances. The idea that 9/10 of your brain sits idly by in your skull
Video examples
Erika Pinheiro: What's...
but they wouldn't even tell me if she was there. I went from supervisor to supervisor, begging to submit evidence of Anna's son's special needs, but no one would even talk to me about the case. It felt surreal to watch the shoppers strolling idly by what felt like a life-and-death situation.
Video examples
The making of cosmic...
electrons were interacting so that the universe was opaque for much the same reason that you can't see through the Sun but that cosmic soup isn't just sitting around idly tiny variations in the density of the universe eventually will grow to be all the structures we
Video examples
Best Snow Animals PIPE Top...
newly hatched chicks can expect very little from their fathers after four months of fasting there is nothing solid in a male stomach but he is able to produce a protein which secretion but that is very enough to keep a chicken idly weak fattened up
Video examples
You don't have to be an...
I was appalled by the possibility of this city of bright and vivid sunsets being overrun by a dull haze. At that moment, I felt an urge to do something about it, but I didn't know what. All I knew was I couldn't just stand idly by.
Video examples
Visions of Africa's...
How would your life change? Now replace internet access with electricity. Think of your fridges, your TVs, your microwaves, just sitting idly for days. Now extend this nightmare to government offices,
Video examples
Safari Live - Day 284 PIPE...
should be idly twelve well I mean 24 hours ago and a lot could have happened between that time and now look in the movement of the 3rd Nile lioness that tells you lots of communication between
Video examples
A creative solution for...
where eight state and city employees were facing charges as serious as manslaughter. I could no longer idly stand by and wait for the government to do its job.
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Luvvie Ajayi
Nigerian Author
I have no love for those who consider themselves 'good people' but stand idly by as the world crumbles around them. It's not enough to personally not do damage. If you're present as someone else destroys what's around you and you do nothing, you helped them.
Quote examples
Florence Nightingale
English Activist
A hundred struggle and drown in the breakers. One discovers the new world. But rather, ten times rather, die in the surf, heralding the way to that new world, than stand idly on the shore.
Quote examples
Knut Hamsun
Norwegian Author
There is nothing like being left alone again, to walk peacefully with oneself in the woods. To boil one's coffee and fill one's pipe, and to think idly and slowly as one does it.
Quote examples
Jan Brewer
American Politician
We cannot sacrifice our safety to the murderous greed of drug cartels. We cannot stand idly by as drop houses, kidnappings and violence compromise our quality of life.
Quote examples
Gad Saad
Canadian Scientist
My purity manifests itself in countless ways, including an utter inability to sit idly when exposed to attacks on truth, reason, logic, and/or individual dignity.
Quote examples
Mary Oliver
American Poet
To tell you the truth, I believe everything - tigers, trees, stones - are sentient in one way or another. You'd never catch me idly kicking a stone, for example.
Quote examples
Christopher A. Wray
American Public Servant
We will not stand idly by while any entity - be it a foreign power or corporation - seeks to criminally or unfairly undermine our country's place in the world.
Quote examples
Virginia Woolf
British Author
Somewhere, everywhere, now hidden, now apparent in what ever is written down, is the form of a human being. If we seek to know him, are we idly occupied?
Quote examples
Max Baucus
American Politician
We won't sit idly by when a crime is committed in the real world. So why should we when it happens in cyber space?
Quote examples
Robert Falcon Scott
British Explorer
To wait idly is the worst of conditions.
Quote examples
Luvvie Ajayi
Nigerian Author
I have no love for those who consider themselves 'good people' but stand idly by as the world crumbles around them. It's not enough to personally not do damage. If you're present as someone else destroys what's around you and you do nothing, you helped them.
Quote examples
Florence Nightingale
English Activist
A hundred struggle and drown in the breakers. One discovers the new world. But rather, ten times rather, die in the surf, heralding the way to that new world, than stand idly on the shore.
Quote examples
Knut Hamsun
Norwegian Author
There is nothing like being left alone again, to walk peacefully with oneself in the woods. To boil one's coffee and fill one's pipe, and to think idly and slowly as one does it.
Quote examples
Jan Brewer
American Politician
We cannot sacrifice our safety to the murderous greed of drug cartels. We cannot stand idly by as drop houses, kidnappings and violence compromise our quality of life.
Quote examples
Gad Saad
Canadian Scientist
My purity manifests itself in countless ways, including an utter inability to sit idly when exposed to attacks on truth, reason, logic, and/or individual dignity.
Quote examples
Mary Oliver
American Poet
To tell you the truth, I believe everything - tigers, trees, stones - are sentient in one way or another. You'd never catch me idly kicking a stone, for example.
Quote examples
Christopher A. Wray
American Public Servant
We will not stand idly by while any entity - be it a foreign power or corporation - seeks to criminally or unfairly undermine our country's place in the world.
Quote examples
Virginia Woolf
British Author
Somewhere, everywhere, now hidden, now apparent in what ever is written down, is the form of a human being. If we seek to know him, are we idly occupied?
Quote examples
Max Baucus
American Politician
We won't sit idly by when a crime is committed in the real world. So why should we when it happens in cyber space?
Quote examples
Robert Falcon Scott
British Explorer
To wait idly is the worst of conditions.
Example 1 of 10
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