WordGarden.ioidle
B2Pronunciation
UK
- /ˈaɪdəl/
US
- /ˈaɪdəl/
Meanings
Adjective
not active, working, or being used
habitually avoiding work or effort
lacking serious purpose, value, or basis
More meaningsFewer meanings
waiting with no active input or processing in a computer system
Verb
to spend time doing nothing useful
to run slowly without doing useful work, especially of an engine
Beyond the definition
To be idle means to be without activity or use, like a ship drifting at sea with no clear destination. A machine or factory is idle when it is not being used or producing anything, and a person can be idle if they are choosing to do nothing. Sometimes it simply describes something that is resting for a time, like equipment during a slow season. Be careful, though: resting is not bad, but too much idleness is often seen as a negative trait. Think of the saying, "The devil finds work for idle hands."
"Idle" has a fascinating range of meanings, all circling around the idea of inactivity or a lack of use. It can describe someone who is lazy and unwilling to work—"He spent his days in idle amusement." But it is more nuanced than just laziness; an idle mind might be simply unoccupied, waiting for something to engage with.
It also describes things that aren't currently being used for their intended purpose. A car engine running at idle is still on, but it is not actively driving the wheels. Similarly, an idle factory stands silent and empty when production stops. In computing, an idle computer is one where the system is powered on, but the user hasn't entered any commands for a period of time.
Historically, "idle" also carried a moral weight, suggesting someone was wasteful or irresponsible with their time. This meaning still lingers in phrases like "idle gossip" (meaning pointless, groundless chatter) or "idle threats" (empty promises of harm that one has no intention of carrying out).
So, whether you're describing a person, a machine, or even a conversation, idle points to a state of inactivity, potential energy waiting to be unleashed, or perhaps simply wasted time. It is a word that reminds us that activity and purpose are often highly valued qualities.
Examples
- 1
Machinery
The machine stays idle for most of the winter.
- 2
Server outage
Half the team was idle while we waited for the server to come back online.
- 3
Restlessness
She hates sitting idle and always finds something to do.
- 4
Engine running
The driver left the car idling outside the store.
- Patternleave + vehicle/engine + idling
keep its engine running without moving
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Empty building
The old factory has stood idle since the company closed it down.
- 6
Rumors
Most of those rumors were just idle gossip.
- Phraseidle gossip
talk that is not serious or not based on facts
- 7
Threats
He dismissed the comment as an idle threat.
- Phraseidle threat
a threat that the person probably will not carry out
- 8
Lazy time
We idled away the afternoon by the river.
- Patternidle away + time
spend time lazily, doing very little
See also
Forms and spellings
6 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- idleverbadjectivenoun
Forms
- idling-ing formverbadjectivenoun
- idlercomparativeadjectiveverbnoun
- idledpast tenseverbadjectivenoun
- idlesverbadjectivenoun
- idlestsuperlativeadjectiveverbnoun