Contents -AUTHOR INDEX -BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD

Mawson, C.O.S., ed. (1870–1938). Roget’s International Thesaurus. 1922.

Class V. Words Releasing to the Voluntary Powers
Division (I) Individual Volition
Section III. Voluntary Action
1. Simple Voluntary Action

683. Inactivity.

   NOUN:INACTIVITY; inaction [See Inaction]; inertness [See Inertness]; obstinacy [See Obstinacy].
  lull (cessation) [See Cessation]; quiescence [See Quiescence]; rust, rustiness.
  IDLENESS, remissness &c. adj.; sloth, indolence, indiligence [rare]; dawdling &c. v.; ergophobia, otiosity, hoboism [U. S.].
  dull work; pottering; relaxation (loosening) [See Incoherence]; Castle of Indolence.
  LANGUOR; dullness &c. adj.; segnity [obs.], segnitude [obs.], lentor; sluggishness (slowness) [See Slowness]; procrastination (delay) [See Lateness]; torpor, torpidity, torpescence; stupor (insensibility) [See Insensibility]; somnolence; drowsiness &c. adj.; nodding &c. v.; oscitation, oscitancy; pandiculation, hypnotism, lethargy; statuvolence or statuvolism; sand in the eyes, heaviness, heavy eyelids.
  SLEEP, slumber; sound -, heavy -, balmy- sleep; Morpheus; Somnus; coma, trance, catalepsy, hypnosis, ecstasis, dream; hibernation; nap, doze, snooze [colloq. or dial.], siesta, wink of sleep, forty winks [colloq.]; snore; hypnology.
  [CAUSE OF INACTIVITY] lullaby, berceuse [F.], Schlummerlied [Ger.]; anæsthesia or anesthesia, anæsthetic or anesthetic, opiate, sedative [See Moderation].
  IDLER, drone, dawdle [rare], dawdler; stiff, dead one [both slang], mopus [obs.], do-little, fainéant [F.], dummy, sleeping partner; afternoon farmer; truant (runaway) [See Avoidance]; bummer [U. S.], bum [slang, U. S.], Weary Willie [colloq.], tramp, sundowner [slang, Austral.], hobo [U. S.], fakir or fakeer [Moham.], sunyasi [Hind.]; beggar, cadger [slang], lounge lizard [slang, U. S.], lounger, lazzarone, loafer; lubber, lubbard [rare]; slow coach (slow) [See Slowness]; opium -, lotus- eater; slug; laggard, sluggard; slumberer, the Dustman, the Sandman; the Fat Boy in Pickwick; dormouse, marmot; waiter on Providence, fruges consumere natus [L.]; Mr. Micawber.
   VERB:BE INACTIVE &c. adj.; do nothing [See Inaction]; move slowly [See Slowness]; let the grass grow under one’s feet; take one’s time, dawdle, drawl, lag, hang back, slouch; loll, lollop [colloq., Brit.], lounge, poke, loaf, loiter; go to sleep over; sleep at one’s post, ne battre que d’une aile [F.].
  take it easy, take things as they come; lead an easy life, vegetate, swim with the stream, eat the bread of idleness; loll in the lap of -luxury, – indolence; waste -, consume -, kill -, lose- time; burn daylight, waste the precious hours.
  DALLY, dilly-dally; idle -, trifle -, fritter -, fool- away time; spend -, take- time in; peddle, piddle; potter, putter [U. S.], dabble, faddle [dial. Eng.], fribble, fiddle-faddle.
  SLEEP, slumber, be asleep; hibernate; oversleep; sleep like a -top, – log, – dormouse; sleep -soundly, – heavily; doze, drowse, snooze [colloq. or dial.], nap; take a nap &c. n.; dream; snore; settle -, go -, go off- to sleep; drop off [colloq.]; fall asleep, drop asleep; close -, seal up- -the -eyes, – eyelids; weigh down the eyelids; get sleepy, nod, yawn; go to bed, turn in, hit the hay [slang], rest in the arms of Morpheus.
  LANGUISH, expend itself, flag, hang fire; relax.
  RENDER IDLE &c. adj.; sluggardize; mitigate [See Moderation].
   ADJECTIVE:INACTIVE; motionless [See Quiescence]; unoccupied (doing nothing) [See Inaction].
  INDOLENT, lazy, slothful, idle, lusk [obs.], remiss, slack, inert, torpid, torpescent, sluggish, otiose, languid, supine, heavy, dull, leaden, lumpish; drony, dronish; lazy as Ludlam’s dog.
  dilatory, laggard; lagging &c. v.; slow [See Slowness]; rusty, flagging; fiddle-faddle; pottering &c. v.; shilly-shally (irresolute) [See Irresolution].
  exanimate [now rare], soulless; listless; lackadaisical, maudlin.
  SLEEPING &c. v.; asleep; fast -, dead -, sound- asleep; in a sound sleep; sound as a top, dormant, comatose; in the -arms, – lap- of Morpheus.
  SLEEPY, sleepful [rare], full of sleep, oscitant, dozy, drowsy, somnolent, torpescent; lethargic or lethargical, somnifacient; statuvolent, statuvolic; heavy, heavy with sleep; nappy, somnific, somniferous; soporose or soporous, soporific, soporiferous; hypnotic; balmy, dreamy; unawakened, unwakened.
  sedative [See Moderation].
   ADVERB:INACTIVELY &c. adj.; at leisure [See Leisure]; with half-shut eyes, half asleep; in dreams, in dreamland.
   QUOTATIONS:

The eyes begin to draw straws.

Bankrupt of life yet prodigal of ease.—Dryden

Better fifty years of Europe than a cycle of Cathay.—Tennyson

Idly busy rolls their world away.—Goldsmith

The mystery of folded sleep.—Tennyson

The timely dew of sleep.—Milton

Thou driftest gently down the tides of sleep.—Longfellow

Tired Nature’s sweet restorer, balmy sleep.—Young

Slumber lay so deep Even her hands upon her lap Seemed saturate with sleep.—De La Mare

Contents -AUTHOR INDEX -BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD