Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

bone-idle

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.63 in modern English

Syllables
bone-i-dle
IPA
11
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Utterly lazy.

British usage

Example Sentences

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.

Usage

Inflected Forms

bone idle (alternative)

Phrases

dead tired

Frequently Paired Words

dead tired

Synonyms

lither swear bone-idle fainéant idle indolent inert lackadaisical lazy otiose slothful sluggish

Questions

What does bone-idle mean?
Utterly lazy.
Where does bone-idle come from?
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.

How to pronounce bone-idle

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “bone-idle”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “bone-idle”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “bone-idle” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.