Idly: meaning, definitions and examples

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idly

[ˈaɪdli ]

Definitions

^{Context #1 | Noun}

South Indian cuisine

Idly is a steamed cake made from fermented rice and lentil batter. It is a popular breakfast item in South India.

Synonyms

South Indian breakfast item, steamed cake.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

Word	Description / Examples
idly	Used to describe doing something without much activity or energy, often in a lazy or relaxed manner. This can sometimes have a slightly negative connotation when describing a person. He sat idly by the window, watching the cars go by. She spent the afternoon idly flipping through magazines.

Examples of usage

I love having idly with coconut chutney for breakfast.
Idly is often served with sambar and chutney as a traditional South Indian meal.

^{Context #2 | Noun}

Informal usage

Idly is used informally to mean without any action or purpose.

Synonyms

inactively, without purpose.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

Word	Description / Examples
idly	Also describes behaving in a way that lacks serious engagement, often used in a repetitive context. 'The children chatted idly about their holiday plans ' 'He scrolled idly through his social media feed '
without purpose	Indicates performing actions without a clear reason or objective; can carry a negative connotation suggesting pointlessness. 'He wandered the streets without purpose, unsure of where to go next ' 'The company seemed to be investing in new technologies without purpose, leading to confusion among the employees '
inactively	Describes a state of not being active without implying laziness or leisure, often used in a more formal or neutral tone. 'The machinery stood inactively during the maintenance period ' 'She remained inactively at her desk, waiting for the next instructions '

Word

Description / Examples

idly

Also describes behaving in a way that lacks serious engagement, often used in a repetitive context.

'The children chatted idly about their holiday plans
' 'He scrolled idly through his social media feed
'

without purpose

Indicates performing actions without a clear reason or objective; can carry a negative connotation suggesting pointlessness.

'He wandered the streets without purpose, unsure of where to go next
' 'The company seemed to be investing in new technologies without purpose, leading to confusion among the employees
'

inactively

Describes a state of not being active without implying laziness or leisure, often used in a more formal or neutral tone.

'The machinery stood inactively during the maintenance period
' 'She remained inactively at her desk, waiting for the next instructions
'

Examples of usage

He was idly scrolling through his phone without any real interest.
She sat idly by, watching the world go by.

Translations

Translations of the word "idly" in other languages:

🇵🇹 ociosamente

🇮🇳 आलसी

🇩🇪 müßig

🇮🇩 dengan santai

🇺🇦 байдуже

🇵🇱 bezczynnie

🇯🇵 何もしないで

🇫🇷 paresseusement

🇪🇸 ociosamente

🇹🇷 boş boş

🇰🇷 게으르게

🇸🇦 بكسل

🇨🇿 nečinně

🇸🇰 nečinne

🇨🇳 无所事事地

🇸🇮 lenobno

🇮🇸 letilega

🇰🇿 жалқаулықпен

🇬🇪 ზარმაცად

🇦🇿 tənbəl-tənbəl

🇲🇽 ociosamente

Etymology

The word 'idly' originated from the Tamil word 'இட்லி' (iṭli). It is believed to have been derived from 'iṭṭu' meaning 'to heap' in Tamil, referring to the steamed cake-like shape of idly. Idly is a traditional South Indian dish that has been enjoyed for centuries and has now become popular worldwide.

Word Frequency Rank

With rank #16,072, this word belongs to specialized vocabulary. While not common in everyday speech, it enriches your ability to express complex ideas.

...
16069 waxed
16070 punching
16071 unwittingly
16072 idly
16073 smash
16074 tritium
16075 conjugation
...