idly

[ ahyd-lee ]

adverb

1. without taking action or showing concern:

   We cannot stand idly by and let evil prevail!

2. without apparent purpose or intention; aimlessly:

   He would tinker idly in his workshop for hours.

3. in a lazy way; indolently:

   Neither of them does anything much in life besides live idly or recklessly.

Other Words From

• o·ver·i·dly adverb
• un·i·dly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of idly¹

id(le) ( def ) + -ly

Example Sentences

“The conservative groups would sit by idly when there are a disproportionate number of Black people in jails and prisons,” Howard said.

From Los Angeles Times

“They’ll sit by idly when there’s large numbers of Black students who are misplaced in special education classrooms. They’ll sit by silently when there are large numbers of Black students who are not graduating from high school. But yet, when there’s a remedy, an attempt to somehow respond, to combat that, then all of a sudden, there’s this anger, and there’s lawsuits. That’s the part that disappoints. I just wish that we lived in a different political climate.”

From Los Angeles Times

I was standing idly when approached to arrest Sullivan, portrayed by actor Josh Williams.

From Los Angeles Times

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the UK would not sit “idly by whilst Putin and his mafia state ride roughshod over international law, including the Chemical Weapons Convention”.

From BBC

But, even if many users are just idly browsing without any real intention of moving, it is still worth it to have properties on there.”

From BBC

Related Words

• leisurely
• nonchalantly
• slowly