idle

American  

[ahyd-l] / ˈaɪd l /

adjective

idler, idlest

1. not working or active; unemployed; doing nothing.

   idle workers.

   Synonyms:

   sluggish

   Antonyms:

   industrious, busy

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:

   trifling, trivial, worthless

   Antonyms:

   worthwhile, important

6. having no basis or reason; baseless; groundless.

   idle fears.

7. frivolous; vain.

   idle pleasures.

   Synonyms:

   wasteful

8. meaningless; senseless.

   idle threats.

9. futile; unavailing.

   idle rage.

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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:

   waste

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 British  

/ ˈaɪdəl /

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

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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.  (intr) (of an engine) to run at low speed with the transmission disengaged

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

Related Words

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.

Other Word Forms

• idleness noun
• idly adverb
• overidle adjective
• overidleness noun
• unidle adjective
• unidling adjective

Etymology

Origin of idle

First recorded before 900, and in 1915–20 idle for def. 12; Middle English, Old English īdel (adjective) “empty, trifling, vain, useless”; cognate with German eitel

Explanation

Something idle is not active. If your car is idling, it's running but not moving. If someone calls you idle, it either means they think you don't have enough to do or that you're just plain lazy. Idle can also mean having no value or purpose: idle rumors are rumors that people make up when they're bored, but have no grounding in fact. As a verb, idle can also refer to a car engine that is running while the vehicle is not moving. The adjective descends from Middle English idel, from Old English īdel "empty."

Example Sentences

The Sparks are idle in the first round and will make picks in the second and third rounds.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

Machinery breaks down and sits idle for months because parts can’t be imported or paid for through normal banking channels.

From Salon • Apr. 11, 2026

Some regularly put their cars in sport mode, which in some models disables the engine from shutting off when the car is idle.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

"But it's not lost on me that these are not idle threats," Balmer said.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

The prophet snickers, the lore-master groans, and everyone else waits to see whether or not it’s an idle threat.

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman

Related Words

• empty
• unproductive
• useless