51³Ô¹Ï

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idle

[ahyd-l]

adjective

idler, idlest 
  1. not working or active; unemployed; doing nothing.

    idle workers.

    Synonyms:
    Antonyms: ,
  2. not spent or filled with activity.

    idle hours.

  3. not in use or operation; not kept busy.

    idle machinery.

  4. habitually doing nothing or avoiding work; lazy.

  5. of no real worth, importance, or significance.

    idle talk.

    Synonyms: , ,
    Antonyms: ,
  6. having no basis or reason; baseless; groundless.

    idle fears.

  7. frivolous; vain.

    idle pleasures.

    Synonyms:
  8. meaningless; senseless.

    idle threats.

  9. futile; unavailing.

    idle rage.



verb (used without object)

idled, idling 
  1. to pass time doing nothing.

  2. to move, loiter, or saunter aimlessly.

    to idle along the avenue.

  3. (of a machine, engine, or mechanism) to operate at a low speed, disengaged from the load.

verb (used with object)

idled, idling 
  1. to pass (time) doing nothing (often followed byaway ).

    to idle away the afternoon.

    Synonyms:
  2. to cause (a person) to be idle.

    The strike idled many workers.

  3. to cause (a machine, engine, or mechanism) to idle.

    I waited in the car while idling the engine.

noun

  1. the state or quality of being idle.

  2. the state of a machine, engine, or mechanism that is idling.

    a cold engine that stalls at idle.

idle

/ ˈ²¹Éª»åÉ™±ô /

adjective

  1. unemployed or unoccupied; inactive

  2. not operating or being used

  3. (of money) not being used to earn interest or dividends

  4. not wanting to work; lazy

  5. (usually prenominal) frivolous or trivial

    idle pleasures

  6. ineffective or powerless; fruitless; vain

  7. without basis; unfounded

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged†2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to waste or pass (time) fruitlessly or inactively

    he idled the hours away

  2. (intr) to loiter or move aimlessly

  3. (intr) (of a shaft, engine, etc) to turn without doing useful work

  4. Also (Brit): tick over.Ìý(intr) (of an engine) to run at low speed with the transmission disengaged

  5. (tr) to cause to be inactive or unemployed

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged†2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other 51³Ô¹Ï Forms

  • idleness noun
  • idly adverb
  • overidle adjective
  • overidleness noun
  • unidle adjective
  • unidling adjective
  • ˈ¾±»å±ô²â adverb
  • ˈ¾±»å±ô±ð²Ô±ð²õ²õ noun
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51³Ô¹Ï History and Origins

Origin of idle1

First recorded before 900, and in 1915–20 idle for def. 12; Middle English, Old English Ä«»å±ð±ô (adjective) “empty, trifling, vain, uselessâ€; cognate with German eitel
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51³Ô¹Ï History and Origins

Origin of idle1

Old English Ä«»å±ð±ô; compare Old High German Ä«³Ù²¹±ô empty, vain
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Synonym Study

Idle, indolent, lazy, slothful apply to a person who is not active. To be idle is to be inactive or not working at a job. The word is sometimes derogatory, but not always, since one may be relaxing temporarily or may be idle through necessity: pleasantly idle on a vacation; to be idle because one is unemployed or because supplies are lacking. The indolent person is naturally disposed to avoid exertion: indolent and slow in movement; an indolent and contented fisherman. The lazy person is averse to exertion or work, and especially to continued application; the word is usually derogatory: too lazy to earn a living; incurably lazy. Slothful denotes a reprehensible unwillingness to carry one's share of the burden: so slothful as to be a burden on others. See loiter.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Many tractors and trucks sat idle surrounded by acres of farmland, as an unknown number of workers chose to stay home.

From

Last summer, Arias said food carriers, mostly men, parked or idled their cars and hung out under the shade of the large tree in front of his home, across the street from the ghost restaurant.

From

Pizarro has said the reenergization of an idle transmission line is now a leading theory of what sparked the deadly fire.

From

Despite a proposal for a new hotel that got local planning commission approval in 2023, the site remained idle as of March 7.

From

“Additionally, we have begun to re-activate three previously idle facilities under multiple agreements with ICE.â€

From

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IDKidle character