gathering dust
Forgotten on shelf
Gathering dust describes something left unused or neglected for a long time—literally accumulating dust from sitting untouched: That guitar has been gathering dust in the closet for years.
The phrase emphasizes wasted potential or abandonment: Her manuscript sat gathering dust on an editor's desk.
- unusedNever put to purpose
- cobwebAbandoned spider silk
- idleWithout activity or purpose
- neglectedNot given proper attention
- left behindAbandoned or forgotten
sitting idle · mothballed · forgotten · out of sight · on the back burner · stagnant · obsolescence · disuse · abandoned · dormancy · ignored · languishing · redundant · unattended · overlooked · accumulation · aging · past its prime
- idlenessdoing nothing, idling, loafing, lounging, lazing
- outdatedobsolete, outdated, out of date, dated, outmoded
- Idle Phrasesidle hands, twiddling thumbs, killing time, at rest, doing nothing
- stagnationstagnation, standstill, stasis, deadlock, stalemate
gathering dustwell-used
Frequently employed, showing wear
working overtime · in play · well-worn · in service · operational
gathering dusttreasured
Regarded with deep affection
prized · cherished · front and center · in the spotlight · pride of place
gathering dustwell-maintained
Properly looked after
polished · spick and span · gleaming · pristine · in mint condition
gather, gathers, gathered, gatherer, gatherers, gathering, gatherings, dust, dusts