inaction

Roget category 681

5. Words relating to the voluntary powers
› 5.3. Voluntary action
›› 5.3.1. Simple voluntary action

#681. Inaction

noun

inaction, passiveness, abstinence from action — noninterference, nonintervention — Fabian policy, conservative policy — neglect etc. 460.
inactivity etc. 683 — rest etc. (repose) 687 — quiescence etc. 265 — want of occupation, inoccupation^† — idle hours, time hanging on one's hands, dolce far niente [It] — sinecure, featherbed, featherbedding, cushy job, no-show job — soft snap, soft thing.

verb

not do, not act, not attempt — be inactive etc. 683 — abstain from doing, do nothing, hold, spare — not stir, not move, not lift a finger, not lift a foot, not lift a peg — fold one's arms, fold one's hands — leave alone, let alone — let be, let pass, let things take their course, let it have its way, let well alone, let well enough alone — quieta non movere [Lat.] — stare super antiquas vias [Lat.] — rest and be thankful, live and let live — lie rest upon one's oars — laisser aller [Fr.], faire [Fr.] — stand aloof — refrain etc. (avoid) 623, keep oneself from doing — remit one's efforts, relax one's efforts — desist etc. (relinquish) 624 — stop etc. (cease) 142 — pause etc. (be quiet) 265.
wait, lie in wait, bide one's time, take time, tide it over.
cool one's heels, kick one's heels — while away the time, while away tedious hours — pass the time, fill up the time, beguile the time — talk against time — let the grass grow under one's feet — waste time etc. (inactive) 683.
lie by, lie on the shelf, lie in ordinary, lie idle, lie to, lie fallow — keep quiet, slug — have nothing to do, whistle for want of thought.
undo, do away with — take down, take to pieces — destroy etc. 162.

adjective

not doing etc. v. — not done etc. v. — undone — passive — unoccupied, unemployed — out of employ, out of work — fallow — desaeuvre [Fr.].

adverb

re infecta [Lat.], at a stand, les bras croisis [Fr.], with folded arms — with the hands in the pockets, with the hands behind one's back — pour passer le temps [Fr.].

interjection

so let it be!, stop!, etc. 142 — hands off!,

phrase

cunctando restituit rem [Lat.], If it ain't broke don't fix it" [Bert Lance]; stare decisis [Lat.], let the decision stand —

The content on this page comes straight from Project Gutenberg Etext of Roget's Thesaurus No. Two, which consists of the acclaimed work by Peter Mark Roget augmented with more recent material. Some changes were made to the formatting for improved readability.

Bold numbers signify related Roget categories. A dagger symbol (†) indicates archaic words and expressions no longer in common use.

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