Word: Idle

Pronunciation

/ˈaɪdl/

Definitions

• Adjective: Not working or active; unemployed or unoccupied. For example: “He spent his idle hours reading books.”
  • She has been idle since losing her job.
• Verb: To spend time doing nothing or without purpose; to be lazy or inactive. For example: “I idled away the afternoon watching old movies.”
  • The car engine idled smoothly.
• Noun: (informal) A person who is idle or lazy. For example: “Too many idles can slow down a society’s progress.”
  • The boss warned that idle hands would not be tolerated.

Phrases

• “Idle chitchat” refers to trivial conversation about unimportant matters.
• “Idle curiosity” describes a desire to know something without any practical reason.
• “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop” is a proverb suggesting that people who have nothing to do are likely to get into trouble.

Example Sentences

• Adjective: “The machine will go into idle mode when it’s not being used.”
• Verb: “They idled by the riverbank, enjoying the sunset.”
• Noun: “Don’t become an idle; find a hobby or a job to keep yourself busy.”

Synonyms

• Unemployed
• Unoccupied
• Inactive
• Lazy
• Sluggish
• Doleful (for a person)
• Languid (for a person or action)
• Leisurely (when referring to a relaxed pace of activity)
• Motionless (in the sense of not moving or functioning)