gathered dust
Lay long forgotten
To gather dust is to sit unused or neglected over time, accumulating literal or figurative dust from inactivity.
A book gathers dust on a shelf; a proposal gathers dust in a committee.
The exercise bike gathered dust in the garage.
The phrase emphasizes abandonment—something once obtained but never put to use.
- grimeIngrained surface dirt
- cornerMeeting point of edges
- lintLoose textile fibers
- filmMovie or coating
- forgottenNo longer recalled
left behind · out of sight · forsaken · abandoned · motes · shelved · antiquated · layer · neglected · overlooked · cobweb · mothballed · dormant · relic · untouched · outdated · speck · obsolete
gathered dustwell-maintained
Properly looked after
spotless · dusted · polished · pristine · immaculate
gathered dustput to use
Apply for purpose
well-worn · worn out · worked hard · in demand · exercised
gathered dustkept in mind
Retained mentally, not forgotten
treasured · cherished · prized · valued · attended to
gather, gathered, gathering, gatherings, gathers, gatherer, gatherers, dust, dusts