Idle
Idle verb - To spend time doing nothing.
Usage example: she likes to idle during the summer, maintaining that there's a lot to be said for sloth
Work
Work verb - To devote serious and sustained effort.
Usage example: the organization has worked for years to raise people's awareness of human rights issues
Both words in one sentence
- Lazy, bone-idle and work shy Onslow, the slovenly, perpetually unemployed brother-in-law of the main character in Keeping Up Appearances is seen reading several books on highly technical subjects such as quantum mechanics over the course of the series.
Source: Genius Book Club -
Idle Rich: Invoked by Alan on Claus and Sunny's marriage, saying that a good marriage takes work, and those people don't like to work.
Source: Film / Reversal of Fortune -
It should also be noted that much of the "activities" done by royalty (charity events, sport, arts, etc.) are enabled by their being part of the idle rich, instead of having to work for a living.
Source: Royals Who Actually Do Something
Cite this Source
Work and Idle. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/idle/work
Idle & Work. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/idle/work>.
Work or Idle. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/idle/work.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "idle" and "work" have occurred on timeline