Idle

Pronunciation: /ˈaɪdəl/

Idle (adjective)

  1. Not doing any work or activity.
  2. Without any real purpose or effect.

Examples

  • The factory machines were idle during the holiday.
  • Many workers were idle due to the strike.

Common collocations: idle hands, idle time, idle chatter, idle curiosity, idle away time

Idle (verb)

  1. To spend time doing nothing useful.
  2. When an engine is running but not moving.

Examples

  • He idled away the afternoon in the park.
  • They idled by the river, enjoying the sun.

Synonyms of Idle

Neutral

Informal

Antonyms of Idle

  • describing a state of activity
  • describing engagement in activity