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 physical bottleneck clears only if power, grid, cooling and construction scale fast enough to keep the money being spent from sitting idle in a queue.

From MarketWatch • May 21, 2026

The island is now restarting two coal-fired power generators, which had been idle for months as it tried to shift away from coal.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026

Senators reached a compromise earlier this month prohibiting yield on idle deposits but allowing “rewards” payments when customers use the dollar-pegged coins.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

Prosecutors said this was not an idle remark but clear evidence of foreknowledge.

From BBC • May 14, 2026

But the man was weary of speaking with him and he turned his back, and he hummed an idle tune.

From "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck

Related Words

• empty
• unproductive
• useless