idle
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idle
not in use; unemployed; inactive: The lifeguard was idle during the winter months.
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree
i·dle
(īd′l)adj. i·dler, i·dlest
1.
a. Not employed or busy: idle carpenters. See Synonyms at inactive.
b. Disinclined to work or be active; lazy: "a man who could seem idle, ignorant, even incompetent, yet was able to understand and to express ... the instincts, good and bad, of the American majority" (Godfrey Hodgson).
c. Not in use or operation: idle hands; idle mills.
d. Sports Not scheduled to play a game: Both teams played today but will be idle tomorrow.
2. Being a period of time in which there is little or no activity: passed idle hours watching TV.
v. i·dled, i·dling, i·dles
v.intr.
1. To pass time without being engaged in purposeful activity: "The girls idled all day long, sending their tinkling laughter flowing up and down the street" (Alai).
2. To move slowly or without purpose: "I drove past the workshop ... I idled along the driveway past the pole fence ... to Tyhee Road" (Tom Spanbauer).
3. To run at a slow speed or out of gear. Used of a motor or motor vehicle.
v.tr.
1. To pass (time) without doing anything: idle the afternoon away.
2. To make or cause to be unemployed or inactive: layoffs that idled 1,000 factory workers; a plant that was idled by a strike.
3. To cause (a motor, for example) to idle.
n.
1. A state of idling. Used of a motor vehicle: an engine running quietly at idle.
2. A mechanism for regulating the speed at which an engine runs at rest: set the idle higher to keep the motor from stalling.
[Middle English idel, from Old English īdel.]
i′dle·ness n.
i′dler (īd′lər) n.
i′dly adv.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
idle
(ˈaɪdəl)adj
1. unemployed or unoccupied; inactive
2. not operating or being used
3. (Banking & Finance) (of money) not being used to earn interest or dividends
4. not wanting to work; lazy
5. (usually prenominal) frivolous or trivial: idle pleasures.
6. ineffective or powerless; fruitless; vain
7. without basis; unfounded
vb
8. (when: tr, often foll by away) to waste or pass (time) fruitlessly or inactively: he idled the hours away.
9. (intr) to loiter or move aimlessly
10. (Mechanical Engineering) (intr) (of a shaft, engine, etc) to turn without doing useful work
11. (Automotive Engineering) (intr) (of an engine) to run at low speed with the transmission disengaged. Also (Brit): tick over
12. (tr) US and Canadian to cause to be inactive or unemployed
[Old English īdel; compare Old High German ītal empty, vain]
ˈidleness n
ˈidly adv
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
i•dle
(ˈaɪd l)adj. i•dler, i•dlest, adj.
1. not working or active; unemployed; doing nothing.
2. not filled with activity: idle hours.
3. not in use or operation: idle machinery.
4. habitually doing nothing or avoiding work; lazy.
5. of no real worth, importance, or purpose: idle talk.
6. having no basis or reason; baseless; groundless: idle fears.
7. frivolous; vain: idle pleasures.
8. meaningless; senseless: idle threats.
v.i. 9. to pass time doing nothing.
10. to move or loiter aimlessly.
11. (of a machine, engine, or mechanism) to operate at a low speed, disengaged from the load.
v.t. 12. to pass (time) doing nothing (often fol. by away): to idle away the afternoon.
13. to cause to be idle: The strike idled many workers.
14. to cause (a machine, engine, or mechanism) to idle.
n. 15. the state or quality of being idle.
16. the state of a machine, engine, or mechanism that is idling: an engine at idle.
[before 900; Middle English, Old English īdel empty, trifling, useless, c. Old Frisian īdel, Old Saxon īdal, Old High German ītal]
i′dle•ness, n.
i′dler, n.
i′dly, adv.
syn: idle, indolent, lazy, slothful apply to a person who is not active. idle means to be inactive or not working at a job; it is not necessarily derogatory: pleasantly idle on a vacation. indolent means naturally disposed to avoid exertion: an indolent and contented fisherman. lazy means averse to exertion or work, and esp. to continued application; the word is usu. derogatory: too lazy to earn a living. slothful denotes a reprehensible unwillingness to do one's share; it describes a person who is slow-moving and lacking in energy: The heat made the workers slothful. See also loiter.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
idle
Past participle: idled
Gerund: idling
| Imperative |
|---|
| idle |
| idle |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. | idle - the state of an engine or other mechanism that is idling; "the car engine was running at idle" operation - the state of being in effect or being operative; "that rule is no longer in operation" |
| Verb | 1. | idle - run disconnected or idle; "the engine is idling" run - be operating, running or functioning; "The car is still running--turn it off!" |
| 2. | idle - be idle; exist in a changeless situation; "The old man sat and stagnated on his porch"; "He slugged in bed all morning" ride the bench, warm the bench - be out of the game; "Miller was riding the bench in Saturday's game" moon, daydream - have dreamlike musings or fantasies while awake; "She looked out the window, daydreaming" bum about, bum around, loaf, loll around, lounge about, lounge around, waste one's time, loll, bum - be lazy or idle; "Her son is just bumming around all day" lie about, lie around - hang around idly; "She did all the work while he lay around" work - exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity; "I will work hard to improve my grades"; "she worked hard for better living conditions for the poor" | |
| Adj. | 1. | idle - not in action or at work; "an idle laborer"; "idle drifters"; "the idle rich"; "an idle mind" ineffective, ineffectual, uneffective - not producing an intended effect; "an ineffective teacher"; "ineffective legislation" unemployed - not engaged in a gainful occupation; "unemployed workers marched on the capital" busy - actively or fully engaged or occupied; "busy with her work"; "a busy man"; "too busy to eat lunch" |
| 2. | idle - without a basis in reason or fact; "baseless gossip"; "the allegations proved groundless"; "idle fears"; "unfounded suspicions"; "unwarranted jealousy" unsupported - not sustained or maintained by nonmaterial aid; "unsupported accusations" | |
| 3. | idle - not in active use; "the machinery sat idle during the strike"; "idle hands" inactive - lacking activity; lying idle or unused; "an inactive mine"; "inactive accounts"; "inactive machinery" | |
| 4. | idle - silly or trivial; "idle pleasure"; "light banter"; "light idle chatter" frivolous - not serious in content or attitude or behavior; "a frivolous novel"; "a frivolous remark"; "a frivolous young woman" | |
| 5. | idle - lacking a sense of restraint or responsibility; "idle talk"; "a loose tongue" irresponsible - showing lack of care for consequences; "behaved like an irresponsible idiot"; "hasty and irresponsible action" | |
| 6. | idle - not yielding a return; "dead capital"; "idle funds" unprofitable - producing little or no profit or gain; "deposits abandoned by mining companies as unprofitable" | |
| 7. | idle - not having a job; "idle carpenters"; "jobless transients"; "many people in the area were out of work" unemployed - not engaged in a gainful occupation; "unemployed workers marched on the capital" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
idle
adjective
1. unoccupied, unemployed, redundant, jobless, out of work, out of action, inactive, at leisure, between jobs, unwaged, at a loose end Employees have been idle for almost a month now.
unoccupied working, employed, active, busy, occupied, energetic, industrious
unoccupied working, employed, active, busy, occupied, energetic, industrious
2. unused, stationary, inactive, out of order, ticking over, gathering dust, mothballed, out of service, out of action or operation Now the machine is lying idle.
3. lazy, slow, slack, sluggish, lax, negligent, inactive, inert, lethargic, indolent, lackadaisical, good-for-nothing, remiss, workshy, slothful, shiftless I've never met such an idle bunch of workers!
lazy working, employed, active, busy, occupied, operative, functional
lazy working, employed, active, busy, occupied, operative, functional
4. useless, vain, pointless, hopeless, unsuccessful, ineffective, worthless, futile, fruitless, unproductive, abortive, ineffectual, groundless, of no use, valueless, disadvantageous, unavailing, otiose, of no avail, profitless, bootless It would be idle to pretend the system is worthless.
useless effective, useful, profitable, worthwhile, fruitful, advantageous
useless effective, useful, profitable, worthwhile, fruitful, advantageous
5. trivial, superficial, insignificant, frivolous, silly, unnecessary, irrelevant, foolish, unhelpful, flippant, puerile, flighty, ill-considered, empty-headed, nugatory He kept up the idle chatter for another five minutes.
trivial important, meaningful
trivial important, meaningful
6. empty, useless, hollow, vain, trivial, pointless, worthless, trifling, insignificant, senseless, inconsequential, aimless, insubstantial, valueless, purposeless It was more of an idle threat than anything.
verb
1. (often with away) fritter, while, waste, fool, lounge, potter, loaf, dally, loiter, dawdle, laze He idled the time away in dreamy thought.
2. do nothing, slack, hang out (informal), languish, take it easy, shirk, stagnate, mark time, kill time, skive (Brit. slang), vegetate, sit back and do nothing, veg out (slang), kick your heels, bludge (Austral. & N.Z. informal) We spent many hours idling in cafes.
4. tick over, in neutral Her limo waited with its engine idling.
Quotations
"As idle as a painted ship"
"Upon a painted ocean" [Samuel Taylor Coleridge The Ancient Mariner]
"It is impossible to enjoy idling thoroughly unless one has plenty of work to do" [Jerome K. Jerome Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow]
"Satan finds some mischief still"
"For idle hands to do" [Isaac Watts Divine Songs for Children]
"We would all be idle if we could" [Samuel Johnson]
"It is better to have loafed and lost than never to have loafed at all" [James Thurber Fables For Our Time]
"As idle as a painted ship"
"Upon a painted ocean" [Samuel Taylor Coleridge The Ancient Mariner]
"It is impossible to enjoy idling thoroughly unless one has plenty of work to do" [Jerome K. Jerome Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow]
"Satan finds some mischief still"
"For idle hands to do" [Isaac Watts Divine Songs for Children]
"We would all be idle if we could" [Samuel Johnson]
"It is better to have loafed and lost than never to have loafed at all" [James Thurber Fables For Our Time]
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
idle
adjective1. Marked by a lack of action or activity:
2. Resistant to exertion and activity:
Informal: do-nothing.
Idiom: bone lazy.
3. Not occupied or put to use:
5. Having no basis or foundation in fact:
1. To pass time without working or in avoiding work:
2. To pass (time) without working or in avoiding work.Also used with away:
3. To cause to cease regular activity:
Idiom: bring to a screeching halt.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
بلا جَدْوى، بلا فائِدَهبلا عَمَل، عاطِلكَسولكَسُولٌلا أساس لَه، لا مُبرِّر له
незает
nečinnýzaháletzbytečnýběžet na prázdnolíný
dovendovnegå i tomganggrundløsindholdsløs
joutavajoutilaslaiska
besposlen
henyenem működőüresen jár
aîgerîalaus; ekki í notkunástæîulausgagnslaus; innantómurí lausagangilatur
何もしない
놀고 있는
be darbodarbo nebuvimasdirbti tuščiąja eiganepagrįstastingiai
dīkslaisksnenodarbinātsnepamatotsslaistīties
zaháľať
lennedelaven
sysslolös
เกียจคร้าน
nhàn rỗi
idle
[ˈaɪdl]A. ADJ (idler (compar) (idlest (superl)))
1. (= lazy) → perezoso, holgazán, flojo (LAm); (= work-shy) → vago; (= without work) → parado, desocupado; (= inactive) [machine, factory] → parado; [moment] → de ocio, libre
the machine is never idle → la máquina no está nunca parada
the reduction in orders made 100 workers idle → la caída en el número de pedidos dejó a 100 obreros sin trabajo
to stand idle [factory, machine] → estar parado
the machine is never idle → la máquina no está nunca parada
the reduction in orders made 100 workers idle → la caída en el número de pedidos dejó a 100 obreros sin trabajo
to stand idle [factory, machine] → estar parado
2. [fear, speculation] → infundado; [threat] → vano
he is not one to indulge in idle boasting/speculation → no es de los que se da a fanfarronear/especular porque sí
we sat making idle conversation → pasamos el rato sentados charlando
I asked out of idle curiosity → lo pregunté por pura curiosidad
it's just idle gossip → no es más que cotilleo
this is no idle threat → no es ésta una amenaza hecha a la ligera
he is not one to indulge in idle boasting/speculation → no es de los que se da a fanfarronear/especular porque sí
we sat making idle conversation → pasamos el rato sentados charlando
I asked out of idle curiosity → lo pregunté por pura curiosidad
it's just idle gossip → no es más que cotilleo
this is no idle threat → no es ésta una amenaza hecha a la ligera
B. VI
C. CPD idle capacity N (Comm) → capacidad f sin utilizar
idle money N (Comm) → capital m improductivo
idle time N (Comm) → tiempo m de paro
idle money N (Comm) → capital m improductivo
idle time N (Comm) → tiempo m de paro
idle away VT + ADV [+ time] → desperdiciar, echar a perder
he idles away his days in the garden → se pasa las horas muertas en el jardín
he idles away his days in the garden → se pasa las horas muertas en el jardín
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
idle
[ˈaɪdəl] adj
(= unoccupied) → désœuvré(e)
It is not his nature to be idle → Ce n'est pas dans sa nature d'être désœuvré.
It is not his nature to be idle → Ce n'est pas dans sa nature d'être désœuvré.
(= lazy) → paresseux/euse
Women thought men idle good-for-nothings → Les femmes considéraient les hommes comme des bons à rien paresseux.
Women thought men idle good-for-nothings → Les femmes considéraient les hommes comme des bons à rien paresseux.
(= enjoying a leisurely lifestyle) → oisif/ive
idle bureaucrats who spend the day reading newspapers → des bureaucrates oisifs qui passent leur journée à lire le journal
idle bureaucrats who spend the day reading newspapers → des bureaucrates oisifs qui passent leur journée à lire le journal
(= unemployed) → au chômage
[factory, machinery] → au repos
to lie idle [factory, machinery] → rester à l'arrêt
to stand idle [factory, machinery] → demeurer à l'arrêt
to lie idle [factory, machinery] → rester à l'arrêt
to stand idle [factory, machinery] → demeurer à l'arrêt
(= inconsequential) [question, pleasures] → vain(e), futile; [talk, gossip] → oiseux/euse; [threat] → vain(e)
He hasn't time for idle gossip → Il n'a pas de temps à perdre en bavardages oiseux.
This is no idle threat → Ce n'est pas une vaine menace.
an idle boast → une fanfaronnade
His statement isn't merely an idle boast → Sa déclaration n'est pas qu'une fanfaronnade.
idle curiosity → simple curiosité
out of idle curiosity → par simple curiosité
He hasn't time for idle gossip → Il n'a pas de temps à perdre en bavardages oiseux.
This is no idle threat → Ce n'est pas une vaine menace.
an idle boast → une fanfaronnade
His statement isn't merely an idle boast → Sa déclaration n'est pas qu'une fanfaronnade.
idle curiosity → simple curiosité
out of idle curiosity → par simple curiosité
vi [engine] → tourner au ralenti
to idle away one's time → passer son temps à ne rien faire
to idle away the time → passer le temps
He idled the time away in dreamy thought → Il passait le temps à rêver.
idle away
vt septo idle away one's time → passer son temps à ne rien faire
to idle away the time → passer le temps
He idled the time away in dreamy thought → Il passait le temps à rêver.
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
idle
adj
(= not working) person → müßig, untätig; moment → ruhig; the idle rich → die reichen Müßiggänger; in my idle moments → in ruhigen or stillen Augenblicken; idle life → faules Leben; idle money, money lying idle → totes or brachliegendes Kapital; we don’t want to let the money lie idle → wir wollen das Geld nicht ungenutzt liegen lassen; his car was lying idle most of the time → sein Auto stand meistens unbenutzt herum
(in industry) person → unbeschäftigt; machine → stillstehend attr, → stillliegend attr, → außer Betrieb; 500 men have been made idle by the strike → durch den Streik mussten 500 Leute ihre Arbeit einstellen; the whole factory stood idle → die ganze Fabrik hatte die Arbeit eingestellt; the machine stood idle → die Maschine stand still or arbeitete nicht or war außer Betrieb; idle capacity → freie or brachliegende Kapazität
promise, threat, words → leer; speculation, talk → müßig; remark → beiläufig; idle boast → bloße Angeberei; idle curiosity → pure or bloße Neugier; idle fear → grundlose or unbegründete Angst; idle wish → Wunschtraum m; the idle pleasures of this worldly life → die eitlen Vergnügungen dieses Erdenlebens
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
idle
[ˈaɪdl]1. adj (-r (comp) (-st (superl)))
a. (lazy, student) → pigro/a, poltrone/a; (inactive, machine, factory, workers) → inattivo/a; (unemployed, worker) → disoccupato/a
the idle rich → i ricchi sfaccendati
in my idle moments → nei miei momenti liberi
an idle life → una vita d'ozio
to stand or lie idle (factory, machine) → rimaner fermo/a or inattivo/a
the idle rich → i ricchi sfaccendati
in my idle moments → nei miei momenti liberi
an idle life → una vita d'ozio
to stand or lie idle (factory, machine) → rimaner fermo/a or inattivo/a
2. vi (person) → oziare; (engine) → girare al minimo
idle away vt + adv (time) → sprecare, buttar via
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
idle
(ˈaidl) adjective1. not working; not in use. ships lying idle in the harbour.
2. lazy. He has work to do, but he's idle and just sits around.
3. having no effect or result. idle threats.
4. unnecessary; without good reason or foundation. idle fears; idle gossip.
verb1. to be idle or do nothing. On holiday they just idled from morning till night.
2. of an engine etc, to run gently without doing any work. They kept the car engine idling while they checked their position with the map.
ˈidler noun a lazy person.
ˈidleness nounˈidly adverb
idle away
to spend (time) doing nothing. idling the hours away.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
idle
→ كَسُولٌ nečinný ledig untätig αδρανής ocioso joutilas oisif besposlen pigro 何もしない 놀고 있는 inactief uvirksom bezczynny inativo бездельничающий sysslolös เกียจคร้าน boş nhàn rỗi 懒惰的Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009