idle Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun the state of an engine or other mechanism that is idling
    • the car engine was running at idle
  2. verb run disconnected or idle
    tick over.
    • the engine is idling
  3. verb be idle; exist in a changeless situation
    stagnate; slug; laze.
    • The old man sat and stagnated on his porch
    • He slugged in bed all morning
  4. adjective not in action or at work
    • an idle laborer
    • idle drifters
    • the idle rich
    • an idle mind
  5. adjective satellite without a basis in reason or fact
    baseless; unwarranted; groundless; wild; unfounded.
    • baseless gossip
    • the allegations proved groundless
    • idle fears
    • unfounded suspicions
    • unwarranted jealousy
  6. adjective satellite not in active use
    unused.
    • the machinery sat idle during the strike
    • idle hands
  7. adjective satellite silly or trivial
    light.
    • idle pleasure
    • light banter
    • light idle chatter
  8. adjective satellite lacking a sense of restraint or responsibility
    loose.
    • idle talk
    • a loose tongue
  9. adjective satellite not yielding a return
    dead.
    • dead capital
    • idle funds
  10. adjective satellite not having a job
    jobless; out of work.
    • idle carpenters
    • jobless transients
    • many people in the area were out of work

WordNet

I"dle adjective
Etymology
OE. idel, AS. idel vain, empty, useless; akin to OS. idal, D. ijdel, OHG. ital vain, empty, mere, G. eitel, Dan. & Sw. idel mere, pure, and prob. to Gr. clear, pure, to burn. Cf. Ether.
Wordforms
comparative Idler ; superlative Idlest
Definitions
  1. Of no account; useless; vain; trifling; unprofitable; thoughtless; silly; barren. "Deserts idle." Shak.
    Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. Matt. xii. 36.
    Down their idle weapons dropped. Milton.
    This idle story became important. Macaulay.
  2. Not called into active service; not turned to appropriate use; unemployed; as, idle hours.
    The idle spear and shield were high uphing. Milton.
  3. Not employed; unoccupied with business; inactive; doing nothing; as, idle workmen.
    Why stand ye here all the day idle? Matt. xx. 6.
  4. Given rest and ease; averse to labor or employment; lazy; slothful; as, an idle fellow.
  5. Light-headed; foolish. Obs. Ford. Chaucer. Syn. -- Unoccupied; unemployed; vacant; inactive; indolent; sluggish; slothful; useless; ineffectual; futile; frivolous; vain; trifling; unprofitable; unimportant. -- Idle, Indolent, Lazy. A propensity to inaction is expressed by each of these words; they differ in the cause and degree of this characteristic. Indolent denotes an habitual love to ease, a settled dislike of movement or effort; idle is opposed to busy, and denotes a dislike of continuous exertion. Lazy is a stronger and more contemptuous term than indolent.
I"dle intransitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Idled ; present participle & verbal noun Idling
Definitions
  1. To lose or spend time in inaction, or without being employed in business. Shak.
I"dle transitive verb
Definitions
  1. To spend in idleness; to waste; to consume; -- often followed by away; as, to idle away an hour a day.

Webster 1913