EnglishMain Dictionary
idle
Universal Words
adjective, verb
adjective
1 (of people) lazy; not working hard:
an idle student
2 (of machines, factories, etc.) not in use:
to lie / stand / remain idle
3 (of people) without work; unemployed:
Over ten per cent of the workforce is now idle.
4 [usuallybeforenoun] with no particular purpose or effect; useless:
idle chatter / curiosity * It was just an idle threat (= not serious). * It is idle to pretend that their marriage is a success.
5 [usuallybeforenoun] (of time) not spent doing work or sth particular:
In idle moments, he carved wooden figures.
idleness noun [U]:
After a period of enforced idleness, she found a new job.
verb
1 [usually +adv./prep.] (written) to spend time doing nothing important:
[VN] They idled the days away, talking and watching television. * [V] They idled along by the river (= walked slowly and with no particular purpose).
2 [V] (of an engine) to run slowly while the vehicle is not moving
SYNTICKOVER:
She left the car idling at the roadside.
3 [VN] (AmE) to close a factory, etc. or stop providing work for the workers, especially temporarily:
The strikes have idled nearly 4000 workers.
