bone-idle
(chiefly, Britain, Ireland, Commonwealth, idiomatic) lazy.
ˈboʊnaɪdəlDocumented since 1830sSilenthistorical113 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026＋ Add a definition
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Born ~1836 · no dated citations yet19th centurySee decade cohort →
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UK
#1·Apr 27, 2026UK
(chiefly, Britain, Ireland, Commonwealth, idiomatic) lazy.
For the last three weeks I have been going what you call bone-idle.
Origin: 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. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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Other words near "bone-idle" (B)
bonedomebone downboneenboneheadboneheadedbone hurting juicebonelessbone-onbone outbonerbonerificbonerism
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