🇩🇪German Source WordCode: DE

Müßiggang

Pronunciation / Transliteration: mysɪçˌɡaŋ

🇬🇧 Direct English Meaning:
Idleness/ˈaɪ.dəl.nəs/
nounCEFR C1 (Advanced)Top #8500 frequency
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🇩🇪 Example Sentence in German:

"Ein gewisses Maß an Müßiggang kann sehr erholsam sein."

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As noun
  1. 1

    The state of spending time inactive or without work; laziness or lack of occupation.

    "He spent his summer vacation in comfortable idleness, reading books and walking in the gardens."
  2. 2

    The condition of machinery or factories not being in use or operation.

    "The factory fell into prolonged idleness after the supply chain collapsed."

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Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from the Old English word 'īdelnes', combining 'īdel' (meaning empty, vain, or unoccupied) with the nominalizing suffix '-nes'. Historically, it has evolved from denoting general vanity or worthlessness to specifically describing the state of spending time doing nothing or being inactive.

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