Idle — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb /ˈī-dᵊl/

Meaning & Definition of Idle

Idle (adjective)

  1. not occupied or employed
  2. having no employment, inactive
  3. not turned to normal or appropriate use

Idle (verb)

  1. to run at low power and often disconnected usually so that power is not used for useful work
  2. to spend time in idleness
  3. to move idly

Idle (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. not being in a state of use, activity, or employment

    "the car was idle for two weeks while they went on vacation"

    "the company's competitors have not been idle in developing rival products"

    similar: dead, dormant, fallow, free, inactive, inert, inoperative, latent, off, unused, vacant, at rest, on the shelf, out of commission
    related: abeyant, arrested, interrupted, suspended, unoccupied, asleep, comatose, lifeless, moribund, quiescent, sleepy, inoperable, unusable, unworkable, useless, dull, slow
    opposite: active, alive, busy, employed, functioning, going, living, on, operating, operative, running, working
    near: functional, operable, operational, workable, assiduous, industrious, sedulous, energetic, vigorous, feasible, practical, usable, useful, viable

  2. not easily aroused to action or work

    "an idle employee who always seems to be either on break or at lunch"

    similar: indolent, lazy, shiftless, slothful
    related: apathetic, drowsy, dull, inert, languorous, lazyish, lethargic, listless, quiescent, sleepy, sluggish, supine, torpid
    opposite: industrious
    near: ambitious, diligent, enterprising, zealous, active, animated, bouncing, brisk, dynamic, energetic, exuberant, frisky, jaunty, jazzy, lively, peppy, perky, pert, snappy, spirited, sprightly, springy, vigorous, vivacious, zippy

Idle (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to spend time doing nothing

    "she likes to idle during the summer and recharge herself for the fall semester"

    "we idled away the evening relaxing around the campfire"

    similar: bum, chill, dally, dawdle, dillydally, drone, footle, goof (off), hack (around), hang (around or out), hang about (British), kick around, kick back, laze, lazy, loaf, loll, lounge, veg out, kill time, twiddle one's thumbs
    related: fiddle (around), fool, mess, monkey, muck, piddle, play, potter (around), putter (around), trifle, doze, estivate, hibernate, lag, linger, loiter, poke, relax, rest, tarry, amble, mosey, saunter, stroll, swan, furlough, goldbrick, malinger, truant
    near: drudge, grind, grub, hump, hustle, labor, moil, peg, plod, plow, plug, slave, sweat, toil, travail, work, apply, buckle (down), exert, put out

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Idle

The most common words with a similar meaning to Idle:

British: hang about
dead, dormant, fallow, free, inactive, inert, inoperative, latent, off, unused, vacant, indolent, lazy, shiftless, slothful, at rest, on the shelf, out of commission, bum, chill, dally, dawdle, dillydally, drone, footle, goof (off), hack (around), hang (around or out), kick around, kick back, laze, loaf, loll, lounge, veg out, kill time, twiddle one's thumbs

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Idle

Words with the opposite meaning of Idle:

active, alive, busy, employed, functioning, going, living, on, operating, operative, running, working, industrious

Related Words for Idle

abeyant, arrested, interrupted, suspended, unoccupied, asleep, comatose, lifeless, moribund, quiescent, sleepy, inoperable, unusable, unworkable, useless, dull, slow, apathetic, drowsy, languorous, lazyish, lethargic, listless, sluggish, supine, torpid, fiddle (around), fool, mess, monkey

Near Antonyms of Idle

functional, operable, operational, workable, assiduous, sedulous, energetic, vigorous, feasible, practical, usable, useful, viable, ambitious, diligent, enterprising, zealous, animated, bouncing, brisk, dynamic, exuberant, frisky, jaunty, jazzy, lively, peppy, perky, pert, snappy

Word Forms of Idle

Inflections: idler, idlest, idled, idling

Derived words: idleness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Idle

Middle English idel, from Old English īdel; akin to Old High German ītal worthless

First known use: before 12th century

Words & Phrases Containing Idle

idle rich, idle threat

Frequently Asked Questions about Idle

What does "Idle" mean?

"Idle" means not occupied or employed. As an an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: not occupied or employed. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Idle"?

Other words for "Idle" include dead, dormant, fallow, free, inactive, inert, inoperative and latent. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Idle" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Idle"?

There are 93 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Idle". Common alternatives include dead, dormant, fallow, free, inactive, inert, inoperative, latent, off and unused.

What is the opposite of "Idle"?

Antonyms of "Idle" include active, alive, busy, employed, functioning, going, living and on. Near antonyms include functional, operable, operational and workable.

How do you use "Idle" in a sentence?

Examples of "Idle" in a sentence: "the car was idle for two weeks while they went on vacation"; "the company's competitors have not been idle in developing rival products"; "an idle employee who always seems to be either on break or at lunch".

Is "Idle" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Idle" can be used as an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Idle"?

"Idle" is pronounced /ˈī-dᵊl/.

What is the origin of the word "Idle"?

"Idle" comes from Middle English idel, from Old English īdel; akin to Old High German ītal worthless. First known use: before 12th century.