Advertisement
Advertisement
View synonyms for idle
idle
[ ahyd-l ]
adjective
, i·dler, i·dlest.
- not working or active; unemployed; doing nothing:
idle workers.
Synonyms: sluggish
Antonyms: industrious, busy
- not spent or filled with activity:
idle hours.
- not in use or operation; not kept busy:
idle machinery.
- habitually doing nothing or avoiding work; lazy.
- of no real worth, importance, or significance:
idle talk.
Synonyms: trifling, trivial, worthless
Antonyms: worthwhile, important
- having no basis or reason; baseless; groundless:
idle fears.
- frivolous; vain:
idle pleasures.
Synonyms: wasteful
- meaningless; senseless:
idle threats.
- futile; unavailing:
idle rage.
verb (used without object)
, i·dled, i·dling.
- to pass time doing nothing.
- to move, loiter, or saunter aimlessly:
to idle along the avenue.
- (of a machine, engine, or mechanism) to operate at a low speed, disengaged from the load.
verb (used with object)
, i·dled, i·dling.
- to pass (time) doing nothing (often followed by away ):
to idle away the afternoon.
Synonyms: waste
- to cause (a person) to be idle:
The strike idled many workers.
- to cause (a machine, engine, or mechanism) to idle:
I waited in the car while idling the engine.
noun
- the state or quality of being idle.
- the state of a machine, engine, or mechanism that is idling:
a cold engine that stalls at idle.
idle
/ ˈaɪdəl /
adjective
- unemployed or unoccupied; inactive
- not operating or being used
- (of money) not being used to earn interest or dividends
- not wanting to work; lazy
- usually prenominal frivolous or trivial
idle pleasures
- ineffective or powerless; fruitless; vain
- without basis; unfounded
verb
- whentr, often foll by away to waste or pass (time) fruitlessly or inactively
he idled the hours away
- intr to loiter or move aimlessly
- intr (of a shaft, engine, etc) to turn without doing useful work
- intr (of an engine) to run at low speed with the transmission disengaged Also (Brit)tick over
- tr to cause to be inactive or unemployed
Discover More
Derived Forms
- ˈidly, adverb
- ˈidleness, noun
Discover More
Other Words From
- i·dle·ness noun
- i·dly adverb
- o·ver·i·dle adjective
- o·ver·i·dle·ness noun
- un·i·dle adjective
- un·i·dling adjective
Discover More
Word History and Origins
Origin of idle1
First recorded before 900, and in 1915–20 idle fordef 12; Middle English, Old English īdel (adjective) “empty, trifling, vain, useless”; cognate with German eitel
Discover More
Word History and Origins
Origin of idle1
Old English īdel; compare Old High German ītal empty, vain
Discover More
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.
Advertisement
Discover More
Related Words
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Browse