idle

1 of 2

adjective

ˈī-dᵊl How to pronounce idle (audio)
idler ˈī-dᵊl-ər How to pronounce idle (audio)
ˈīd-lər
 ; idlest ˈī-dᵊl-əst How to pronounce idle (audio)
ˈīd-ləst
Synonyms of idlenext
1
: not occupied or employed: such as
a
: having no employment : inactive
idle workers
b
: not turned to normal or appropriate use
idle farmland
c
: not scheduled to compete
the team will be idle tomorrow
2
: lacking worth or basis : vain
idle chatter
idle pleasure
3
a
: shiftless, lazy
b
: having no evident lawful means of support
idleness
ˈī-dᵊl-nəs How to pronounce idle (audio)
noun

idle

2 of 2

verb

idled; idling ˈī-dᵊl-iŋ How to pronounce idle (audio)
ˈīd-liŋ

intransitive verb

1
: to run at low power and often disconnected usually so that power is not used for useful work
the engine is idling
2
a
: to spend time in idleness
b
: to move idly

transitive verb

1
: to pass in idleness
2
: to cause to idle
3
: to make idle
workers idled by a strike

Synonyms

Adjective

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus
Choose the Right Synonym for idle

Adjective

vain, nugatory, otiose, idle, empty, hollow mean being without worth or significance.

vain implies either absolute or relative absence of value.

vain promises

nugatory suggests triviality or insignificance.

a monarch with nugatory powers

otiose suggests that something serves no purpose and is either an encumbrance or a superfluity.

a film without a single otiose scene

idle suggests being incapable of worthwhile use or effect.

idle speculations

empty and hollow suggest a deceiving lack of real substance or soundness or genuineness.

an empty attempt at reconciliation
a hollow victory

inactive, idle, inert, passive, supine mean not engaged in work or activity.

inactive applies to anyone or anything not in action or in operation or at work.

on inactive status as an astronaut
inactive accounts

idle applies to persons that are not busy or occupied or to their powers or their implements.

workers were idle in the fields

inert as applied to things implies powerlessness to move or to affect other things; as applied to persons it suggests an inherent or habitual indisposition to activity.

inert ingredients in drugs
an inert citizenry

passive implies immobility or lack of normally expected response to an external force or influence and often suggests deliberate submissiveness or self-control.

passive resistance

supine applies only to persons and commonly implies abjectness or indolence.

a supine willingness to play the fool

Verb

idle, loaf, lounge, loll, laze mean to spend time doing nothing.

idle may be used in reference to persons that move lazily or without purpose.

idled the day away

loaf suggests either resting or wandering about as though there were nothing to do.

she does her work and then loafs the rest of the day

lounge, though occasionally used as equal to idle or loaf, typically conveys an additional implication of resting or reclining against a support or of physical comfort and ease in relaxation.

he lounged against the wall

loll also carries an implication of a posture similar to that of lounge, but places greater stress upon an indolent or relaxed attitude.

lolling on the couch

laze usually implies the relaxation of a busy person enjoying a vacation or moments of leisure.

lazed about between appointments

Examples of idle in a Sentence

Adjective There has been a lot of idle speculation about what might happen, but no one really knows. the idle days of summer Verb
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Rheinmetall, the German defense giant once controlled by the Third Reich, is considering acquiring one of Volkswagen's soon-to-be idle plants, exploring ways to repurpose existing automotive infrastructure for military production. — Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025 People who have lots of weak ties, who make eye contact and idle chitchat with baristas and neighbors, feel happier than those who don’t, her studies find. — Olga Khazan, Vox, 11 Mar. 2025
Verb
Used cars will go up big and auto plants will be idled like mad. — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 16 Mar. 2025 Their boat was found idling in circles, sparking a massive search. — Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 10 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for idle

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English idel, from Old English īdel; akin to Old High German ītal worthless

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

1592, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 2a

Time Traveler
The first known use of idle was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing idle

Rhymes for idle

See All Rhymes for idle

Browse Nearby Words

IDK
idle
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Idle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/idle. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

idle

1 of 2 adjective
ˈīd-ᵊl How to pronounce idle (audio)
idler ˈīd-lər How to pronounce idle (audio)
-ᵊl-ər
 ; idlest ˈīd-ləst How to pronounce idle (audio)
-ᵊl-əst
1
: having no worth or basis
idle rumors
idle chatter
2
: not being used or employed
idle workers
idle factories
idle hours
3
: lazy sense 1
idleness
ˈīd-ᵊl-nəs How to pronounce idle (audio)
noun
idly
ˈīd-lē How to pronounce idle (audio)
-ᵊl-ē
adverb

idle

2 of 2 verb
idled; idling ˈīd-liŋ How to pronounce idle (audio)
-ᵊl-iŋ
1
: to spend time doing nothing
2
: to run without being connected for doing useful work
left the engine idling
idler
ˈīd-lər How to pronounce idle (audio)
-ᵊl-ər
noun

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