Standard Lemma guide

bone-idle

adj · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

adj

Meaning 1

Utterly lazy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Commonwealth, Ireland, UK, idiomatic, not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: lither, swear, bone-idle, fainéant, idle, indolent, inert, lackadaisical, lazy, otiose, slothful, sluggish, torpid, work-shy

Antonyms: none provided

2

adjective satellite

Meaning 2

constitutionally lazy or idle

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bone-lazy

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Laziness that penetrates the very bones. Attested 1836. Similar terms (bone-lazy, bone-sore, bone-tired) pre-dated it in The Vocabulary Of East Anglia, 1830, Robert Forby. Compare to the bone.

Across languages

Translations

7 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: patalaiska — utterly lazy
  • French: fainéant — utterly lazy
  • French: cossard — utterly lazy
  • French: flemmard — utterly lazy
  • French: glandouilleur — utterly lazy
  • French: oisif — utterly lazy
  • Māori: māngere hōnia — utterly lazy