a person who passes time in a lazy or unproductive way.
2.
Machinery. an idle gear, wheel, or pulley.
3.
Railroads. an empty freight car placed under the projecting end of a long object carried by the next car, so that the latter can be connected with another part of the train.
not working or active; unemployed; doing nothing: idle workers.
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.
6.
having no basis or reason; baseless; groundless: idle fears.
7.
frivolous; vain: idle pleasures.
8.
meaningless; senseless: idle threats.
9.
futile; unavailing: idle rage.
–verb (used without object)
10.
to pass time doing nothing.
11.
to move, loiter, or saunter aimlessly: to idle along the avenue.
12.
(of a machine, engine, or mechanism) to operate at a low speed, disengaged from the load.
–verb (used with object)
13.
to pass (time) doing nothing (often fol. by away): to idle away the afternoon.
14.
to cause (a person) to be idle: The strike idled many workers.
15.
to cause (a machine, engine, or mechanism) to idle: I waited in the car while idling the engine.
–noun
16.
the state or quality of being idle.
17.
the state of a machine, engine, or mechanism that is idling: a cold engine that stalls at idle.
[Origin: bef. 900; 1915–20 for def. 12; ME, OE īdel (adj.) empty, trifling, vain, useless; c. G eitel]
—Related forms
i·dle·ness, noun
idly, adverb
—Synonyms 1. sluggish. 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 esp. 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. 5. worthless, trivial, trifling. 7. wasteful. 11.See loiter.13. waste.
I"dle\, a. [Compar. Idler; superl. Idlest.] [OE. idel, AS. [=i]del vain, empty, useless; akin to OS. [=i]dal, D. ijdel, OHG. [=i]tal vain, empty, mere, G. eitel, Dan. & Sw. idel mere, pure, and prob. to Gr. ? clear, pure, ? to burn. Cf. Ether.]1. Of no account; useless; vain; trifling; unprofitable; thoughtless; silly; barren. "Deserts idle." --Shak. Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. --Matt. xii. 36. Down their idle weapons dropped. --Milton. This idle story became important. --Macaulay. 2. Not called into active service; not turned to appropriate use; unemployed; as, idle hours. The idle spear and shield were high uphing. --Milton. 3. Not employed; unoccupied with business; inactive; doing nothing; as, idle workmen. Why stand ye here all the day idle? --Matt. xx. 6. 4. Given rest and ease; averse to labor or employment; lazy; slothful; as, an idle fellow. 5. Light-headed; foolish. [Obs.] --Ford. Idle pulley (Mach.), a pulley that rests upon a belt to tighten it; a pulley that only guides a belt and is not used to transmit power. Idle wheel (Mach.), a gear wheel placed between two others, to transfer motion from one to the other without changing the direction of revolution. In idle, in vain. [Obs.] "God saith, thou shalt not take the name of thy Lord God in idle." --Chaucer. Syn: Unoccupied; unemployed; vacant; inactive; indolent; sluggish; slothful; useless; ineffectual; futile; frivolous; vain; trifling; unprofitable; unimportant. Usage: Idle, Indolent, Lazy. A propensity to inaction is expressed by each of these words; they differ in the cause and degree of this characteristic. Indolent denotes an habitual love to ease, a settled dislike of movement or effort; idle is opposed to busy, and denotes a dislike of continuous exertion. Lazy is a stronger and more contemptuous term than indolent.
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