Flaneur
Noun
- An idler or lounger.
Example Sentences
“He left his trip itinerary open so he could be a bit of a flaneur and take a few days to relax.”
“After taking too many excessively long lunch breaks, she got a reputation as a flaneur.”
“One of my dogs can’t sit still and will chase his ball all day, and the other is a total flaneur who only wants to nap.”
Word Origin
French, mid-19th century
Why this word?
A flaneur by another name could be called a slacker — someone who idles about, taking their time, not accomplishing much. However, there’s another identical European-language word with an opposite usage. In French, a flâneur is a loafer or a dawdler; in Dutch, a flaneur is a person who roams the city on foot.