idle
adjective
not working or active; unemployed; doing nothing.
idled
-
past participleof idle.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
-
past tense formof idle.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
idleadjectivenot working or active; unemployed; doing nothing.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The risk of relying on one artery for so much trade was underscored after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, when the bridge was temporarily closed and trucks idled in a miles-long traffic jam.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
His girlfriend, Britany Jacobs, idled their car in a disabled parking spot, accompanied by the couple’s other child.
From Slate ● Jun. 4, 2026
He voiced his rage over an empty reservoir, idled fire trucks and what he called dangerous brush clearance policies.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026
Then there is MP, which restarted the Mountain Pass mine in 2018 External link after it had idled in 2015.
From Barron's ● May 18, 2026
While we idled the months away, exerting our efforts to watch over a city of embers and stones, Boston is fallen to the rebels.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
