Idle Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

Kids Definition of idle ... 1 : to spend time doing nothing I idled away the afternoon. 2 : to run without being connected for doing useful work The engine is ... Login SignUp Hello, Games&Quizzes Thesaurus WordoftheDay Features BuyingGuide M-WBooks JoinMWU MyWordsMyWords ViewRecents Account LogOut idle adjective SaveWord \ˈī-dᵊl \ idler\ ˈī-​dᵊl-​ər ,ˈīd-​lər \;idlest\ ˈī-​dᵊl-​əst ,ˈīd-​ləst \ Definitionofidle (Entry1of2) 1 :notoccupiedoremployed:suchas a :havingnoemployment:inactive idleworkers b :notturnedtonormalorappropriateuse idlefarmland c :notscheduledtocompete theteamwillbeidletomorrow 2 :lackingworthorbasis:vain idlechatteridlepleasure 3a :shiftless,lazy b :havingnoevidentlawfulmeansofsupport idle verb idled;idling\ ˈī-​dᵊl-​iŋ ,ˈīd-​liŋ \ Definitionofidle (Entry2of2) intransitiveverb 1 :torunatlowpowerandoftendisconnectedusuallysothatpowerisnotusedforusefulwork theengineisidling 2a :tospendtimeinidleness b :tomoveidly transitiveverb 1 :topassinidleness 2 :tocausetoidle 3 :tomakeidle workersidledbyastrike OtherWordsfromidle Synonyms&Antonyms ChoosetheRightSynonym MoreExampleSentences PhrasesContainingidle LearnMoreAboutidle OtherWordsfromidle Adjective idleness \ ˈī-​dᵊl-​nəs \ noun Synonyms&Antonymsforidle Synonyms:Adjective dead,dormant,fallow,free,inactive,inert,inoperative,latent,off,unused,vacantSynonyms:Verb bum,chill,dally,dawdle,dillydally,drone,footle,goof(off),hack(around),hang(aroundorout),hangabout[British],kickaround,kickback,laze,lazy,loaf,loll,lounge,vegout Antonyms:Adjective active,alive,busy,employed,functioning,going,living,on,operating,operative,running,working VisittheThesaurusforMore  ChoosetheRightSynonymforidle Adjective vain,nugatory,otiose,idle,empty,hollowmeanbeingwithoutworthorsignificance.vainimplieseitherabsoluteorrelativeabsenceofvalue. vainpromises nugatorysuggeststrivialityorinsignificance. amonarchwithnugatorypowers otiosesuggeststhatsomethingservesnopurposeandiseitheranencumbranceorasuperfluity. afilmwithoutasingleotiosescene idlesuggestsbeingincapableofworthwhileuseoreffect. idlespeculations emptyandhollowsuggestadeceivinglackofrealsubstanceorsoundnessorgenuineness. anemptyattemptatreconciliation ahollowvictory inactive,idle,inert,passive,supinemeannotengagedinworkoractivity.inactiveappliestoanyoneoranythingnotinactionorinoperationoratwork. oninactivestatusasanastronaut inactiveaccounts idleappliestopersonsthatarenotbusyoroccupiedortotheirpowersortheirimplements. workerswereidleinthefields inertasappliedtothingsimpliespowerlessnesstomoveortoaffectotherthings;asappliedtopersonsitsuggestsaninherentorhabitualindispositiontoactivity. inertingredientsindrugs aninertcitizenry passiveimpliesimmobilityorlackofnormallyexpectedresponsetoanexternalforceorinfluenceandoftensuggestsdeliberatesubmissivenessorself-control. passiveresistance supineappliesonlytopersonsandcommonlyimpliesabjectnessorindolence. asupinewillingnesstoplaythefool Verb idle,loaf,lounge,loll,lazemeantospendtimedoingnothing.idlemaybeusedinreferencetopersonsthatmovelazilyorwithoutpurpose. idledthedayaway loafsuggestseitherrestingorwanderingaboutasthoughtherewerenothingtodo. shedoesherworkandthenloafstherestoftheday lounge,thoughoccasionallyusedasequaltoidleorloaf,typicallyconveysanadditionalimplicationofrestingorrecliningagainstasupportorofphysicalcomfortandeaseinrelaxation. heloungedagainstthewall lollalsocarriesanimplicationofaposturesimilartothatoflounge,butplacesgreaterstressuponanindolentorrelaxedattitude. lollingonthecouch lazeusuallyimpliestherelaxationofabusypersonenjoyingavacationormomentsofleisure. lazedaboutbetweenappointments ExamplesofidleinaSentence Adjective Therehasbeenalotofidlespeculationaboutwhatmighthappen,butnoonereallyknows. theidledaysofsummer Verb Shelefttheengineidlingforafewsecondsbeforesheturneditoff. Thecarsidledintraffic. Agroupofboysidledinthedoorway. Thefactoryclosed,idlingseveralhundredworkers. Thousandsofworkershavebeenidledbythebadeconomy. Thefactoryhasbeenidledbythestrike. SeeMore RecentExamplesontheWeb:Adjective SanFranciscowasalsoidleafterlosingtwoofthreeovertheweekendinColorado. — TylerJ.Davis,DetroitFreePress,23Aug.2022 TheAnchorPointsitehasbeenidlesinceNorthShoreCommunityCollege,whichuseditforparkingatitsformerSohierRoadfacility,closedthatfacilityabout20yearsago. — JohnLaidler,BostonGlobe.com,17Aug.2022 Butmanyofthemhavebeenidle,becausethere’sonenastyproblemwithmuchoftheundergroundwaterintheSanFernandoValley. — SteveLopez,LosAngelesTimes,30July2022 MyassemblyplantwasrecentlyclosedpermanentlyafterbeingidleforseveralmonthsduringwhichtimemycolleaguesandIwerefurloughed. — JohnnyC.TaylorJr.,USATODAY,26July2022 Folketymologyholdsthatthesetwoidioms,whichindifferentwaysimplyinattentiontomoreimportanttasks,arosefromthesamesituation–someoneassigningbusyworktoothers,topreventthemfrombeingidle. — MelissaMohr,TheChristianScienceMonitor,11July2022 Peakerplantssitidleformostoftheday,butfireuptoprovideextraenergywheneverdemandforelectricityspikesandthepowergridcan’tkeepup. — NicolásRivero,Quartz,29June2022 Inrecentmonths,Iranlaunchedtestingdrillstorestartonshorewellsthatwereidleforyearsbecauseofthesanctions,Iranianofficialssay. — BenoitFaucon,WSJ,28Apr.2022 Bankscanalsoearnmoreinterestoncashthatpreviouslysatidle. — CharleyGrant,WSJ,9May2022 RecentExamplesontheWeb:Verb Tourbusesidleoutsidethecompound'sblackmetalfencewherevisitorsfromaroundthecountrydisembarktoseeMagnoliainperson. — BriannaGriff,Chron,8Aug.2022 ButWelterandsomeworkersattheplantworryiftheprotestcontinues,GMmayhavetoidlesomeproductionatFlint. — JamieL.Lareau,DetroitFreePress,10Feb.2022 Therealtruthis,Jeff’squestforcreatingabettersocietydetacheshimfromaneveryday,idleone. — LizaLentini,SPIN,16June2022 Thecompanyhastolddriversnottoidlewhenpossible,butturningtrucksonandoffalsousesmorefuel. — SeanMcdonnell,cleveland,14June2022 Automanufacturersworldwidehavehadtoidlefactoriesandslashoutputasaresult,causingshortagesofnewandusedcars. — WashingtonPost,25Jan.2022 Automanufacturersworldwidehavehadtoidlefactoriesandslashoutputasaresult,causingshortagesofnewandusedcars. — JeanneWhalen,AnchorageDailyNews,25Jan.2022 AnAvtoVAZspokesmansaidthecompanyplannedtoidleitsplantsuntilatleastMarch11duetotheglobalchipshortagethathasaffectedcarmakersworld-wide. — NickKostovAndEvanGershkovich,WSJ,9Mar.2022 ManyWesternnationshaveinstitutedsanctionsagainstRussia,promptingmanycompaniestoidleoperationsthere. — JamieL.Lareau,DetroitFreePress,4Mar.2022 SeeMore Theseexamplesentencesareselectedautomaticallyfromvariousonlinenewssourcestoreflectcurrentusageoftheword'idle.'ViewsexpressedintheexamplesdonotrepresenttheopinionofMerriam-Websteroritseditors.Sendusfeedback. PhrasesContainingidle idlethreat idlerich idlethreat idlerich FirstKnownUseofidle Adjective beforethe12thcentury,inthemeaningdefinedatsense2Verb 1592,inthemeaningdefinedatintransitivesense2a HistoryandEtymologyforidle Adjective MiddleEnglishidel,fromOldEnglishīdel;akintoOldHighGermanītalworthless LearnMoreAboutidle Shareidle PosttheDefinitionofidletoFacebook SharetheDefinitionofidleonTwitter TimeTravelerforidle Thefirstknownuseofidlewas beforethe12thcentury Seemorewordsfromthesamecentury DictionaryEntriesNearidle IDK idle idleby SeeMoreNearbyEntries  Statisticsforidle LastUpdated 27Aug2022 Look-upPopularity CitethisEntry “Idle.”Merriam-Webster.comDictionary,Merriam-Webster,https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/idle.Accessed30Aug.2022. Style:MLA MLA Chicago APA Merriam-Webster MoreDefinitionsforidle idle adjective \ˈī-dᵊl \ idler\ ˈīd-​lər \;idlest\ ˈīd-​ləst \ KidsDefinitionofidle (Entry1of2) 1 :notworkingorinuse idleworkersidlefarmland 2 :lazysense1 3 :notbasedonanythingrealorserious anidlethreat OtherWordsfromidle idleness \ ˈī-​dᵊl-​nəs \ noun idly \ ˈīd-​lē \ adverb idle verb idled;idling\ ˈīd-​liŋ \ KidsDefinitionofidle (Entry2of2) 1 :tospendtimedoingnothing Iidledawaytheafternoon. 2 :torunwithoutbeingconnectedfordoingusefulwork Theengineisidling. MorefromMerriam-Websteronidle Nglish:TranslationofidleforSpanishSpeakers BritannicaEnglish:TranslationofidleforArabicSpeakers WORDOFTHEDAY effulgence SeeDefinitionsandExamples» GetWordoftheDaydailyemail! TestYourVocabulary ChallengingWordsYouShouldKnow Oftenusedtodescribe“themarchoftime,”whatdoesinexorablemean? Relentless Swift Unpredictable Slow Testyourvocabularywithour10-questionquiz! TAKETHEQUIZ Adailychallengeforcrosswordfanatics. TAKETHEQUIZ SubscribetoAmerica'slargestdictionaryandgetthousandsmoredefinitionsandadvancedsearch—adfree! Merriam-Websterunabridged WordsatPlay 'Dunderhead'andOther‘Nicer’WaystoSayStupid Asillustratedbysomeverysmartpups 10WordsfromPlaceNames Bikini,bourbon,andbadmintonwereplacesfirst 'Pride':TheWordThatWentFromVicetoStrength DoyoutakeprideinPride? WhenWereWordsFirstUsed? Lookupanyyeartofindout AsktheEditors Literally Howtouseawordthat(literally)drivessomepe... 'AllIntensivePurposes'or'AllIntentsandPurposes'? We'reintentonclearingitup Layvs.Lie EditorEmilyBrewsterclarifiesthedifference. HotMess "Thepublicisahotmess" WordGames NameThatThingMegaQuiz! Testyourvisualvocabulary! Takethequiz WhatAreYouWearing? Rollupyoursleevesandidentifythesegarments Takethequiz HowStrongIsYourVocabulary? Testyourvocabularywithour10-questionquiz! Takethequiz SpellingBeeQuiz CanyououtdopastwinnersoftheNationalSpelli... Takethequiz