adj

idle

YDL

adj

Not working, active, or in use.

"The factory has stood idle since the plant closed last year."

"She hates being idle and always finds something to do."

Lazy or unwilling to work.

"His teachers called him idle, though he simply found the subject boring."

verb

Of an engine, to run slowly while not driving anything, such as a car sitting still with the motor on.

"Don't let the car idle in the garage — the fumes can build up."

To pass time doing nothing productive.

"They idled away the afternoon on the porch."

How to Use Idle

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishNot being used, not working, or (for people) inactive/lazy; for engines, running without doing any work.

Common mistake

Don't confuse with "idol" (a revered figure or object) — they sound identical but mean completely different things.

Easily confused with

idol →

Common pairings

sit idle idle chatter idle threat engine idles

more idle comparative, idled past tense, idles plural, Idles plural, idles singular, most idle superlative

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The factory has stood _____ since the plant closed last year.

From Old English idel, meaning "empty" or "vain," related to Dutch and German words for "vain" or "meaningless."

sidle bridle