idle
adjective
not working or active; unemployed; doing nothing.
were idling
-
past progressiveof idle.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
When Kieran Tierney pulled one back with a header it was just reward, Rangers were idling and Celtic were desperate.
From BBC ● Mar. 1, 2026
“You saw lots of other people in their cars doing that too, just because we were idling for so long. I think people’s gas was running really low,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2023
On a Tuesday in mid-July, when the Guardian traveled to meet Saul, four dogs were idling in the heat outside.
From The Guardian ● Jul. 28, 2019
Kids, who were idling in dirt alleys, raced over to talk to me through the wire fence; there’s little else to do.
From The New Yorker ● Dec. 1, 2014
Their grim, redeyed stares drove away most of the remaining spectators who were idling about.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
