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Definitions for Idle

[1] 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.
[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.
[13] to pass (time) doing nothing (often followed 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.
[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.
[18] unemployed or unoccupied; inactive
[19] not operating or being used
[20] (of money) not being used to earn interest or dividends
[21] not wanting to work; lazy
[22] (usually prenominal) frivolous or trivial idle pleasures
[23] ineffective or powerless; fruitless; vain
[24] without basis; unfounded
[25] (when tr, often foll by away ) to waste or pass (time) fruitlessly or inactively he idled the hours away
[26] (intr) to loiter or move aimlessly
[27] (intr) (of a shaft, engine, etc) to turn without doing useful work
[28] (intr) (of an engine) to run at low speed with the transmission disengaged Also (Brit): tick over
[29] (tr) US and Canadian to cause to be inactive or unemployed

Words related to Idle

unproductive, useless, empty, rambling, hollow, abortive, bootless, frivolous, fruitless, futile, groundless, insignificant, irrelevant, nugatory, otiose, pointless, superficial, trivial, unavailing, unnecessary

Words nearby Idle

idiotropic, idiotype, idioventricular, idioventricular rhythm, idk, idle, idle character, idle gear, idle pulley, idle time, idle wheel

Origin of Idle

before 900; 1915–20 for def 12 ; Middle English, Old English īdel (adj.) empty, trifling, vain, useless; cognate with German eitel

Words that may be confused with Idle

idle, idol, idyll, (see, synonym, study, at, the, current, entry)

Other words from Idle

i·dle·ness , noun
i·dly , adverb
o·ver·i·dle , adjective
o·ver·i·dle·ness , noun
o·ver·i·dly , adverb
un·i·dle , adjective
un·i·dling , adjective
un·i·dly , adverb

Word origin for Idle

Old English īdel; compare Old High German ītal empty, vain

Synonyms for Idle

empty, unproductive, useless, hollow, rambling, abortive, bootless, frivolous, fruitless, futile, groundless, insignificant, irrelevant, not serious, nugatory, of no avail, otiose, pointless, superficial, trivial, unavailing, unhelpful, unnecessary, unsuccessful, vain