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- From the verb idle: (⇒ conjugate)
- idling is: ⓘClick the infinitive to see all available inflections
- v pres p
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026i•dle /ˈaɪdəl/USA pronunciation
adj., i•dler, i•dlest, v., i•dled, i•dling, n. adj.
- not working or active;
doing nothing:idle machinery; Most of the men were idle during the depression.
- not filled with activity:idle hours.
- habitually avoiding work;
lazy:She's been idle ever since she came back from college.
- of no real worth or purpose:[usually: before a noun]idle threats.
v.
- to pass time doing nothing;
waste time: [no object]They appeared to be idling near the doorway.[~ + away + object]idled away the afternoon.[~ + object + away]They idled the afternoon away, playing cards.
- Automotive, Mechanical Engineering(of a machine or mechanism) to (cause to) operate at a low speed, not connected to a load: [no object]The car idled at the red light.[~ + object]The driver idled his car's engine.
- to cause to be out of work or unemployed:[~ + object]The strike idled many workers.
i•dle•ness, n. [uncountable]
i•dler, n. [countable]
id•ling, adj. [before a noun]:an engine at idling speed.
i•dly, adv.: chatted idly.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026i•dle
(īd′l),USA pronunciation adj., i•dler, i•dlest, v. i•dled, i•dling, n. adj.
- not working or active;
unemployed;
doing nothing:idle workers.
- not spent or filled with activity:idle hours.
- not in use or operation;
not kept busy:idle machinery.
- habitually doing nothing or avoiding work;
lazy.
- of no real worth, importance, or significance:idle talk.
- having no basis or reason;
baseless;
groundless:idle fears.
- frivolous;
vain:idle pleasures.
- meaningless;
senseless:idle threats.
- futile;
unavailing:idle rage.
v.i.
- to pass time doing nothing.
- to move, loiter, or saunter aimlessly:to idle along the avenue.
- Automotive, Mechanical Engineering(of a machine, engine, or mechanism) to operate at a low speed, disengaged from the load.
v.t.
- to pass (time) doing nothing (often fol. by away):to idle away the afternoon.
- to cause (a person) to be idle:The strike idled many workers.
- Mechanical Engineeringto cause (a machine, engine, or mechanism) to idle:I waited in the car while idling the engine.
n.
- the state or quality of being idle.
- Automotive, Mechanical Engineeringthe state of a machine, engine, or mechanism that is idling:a cold engine that stalls at idle.
- bef. 900; 1915–20 for def. 12; Middle English, Old English īdel (adjective, adjectival) empty, trifling, vain, useless; cognate with German eitel
1. sluggish. Idle, indolent, lazy, slothful apply to a person who is not active. To be idle is to be inactive or not working at a job. The word is sometimes derogatory, but not always, since one may be relaxing temporarily or may be idle through necessity:pleasantly idle on a vacation; to be idle because one is unemployed or because supplies are lacking.The indolent person is naturally disposed to avoid exertion:indolent and slow in movement; an indolent and contented fisherman.The lazy person is averse to exertion or work, and esp. to continued application; the word is usually derogatory:too lazy to earn a living; incurably lazy.Slothful denotes a reprehensible unwillingness to carry one's share of the burden:so slothful as to be a burden on others. 5. worthless, trivial, trifling. 7. wasteful. 11. See loiter. 13. waste.
1. busy, industrious. 5. important, worthwhile.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
idle /ˈaɪdəl/ adj - unemployed or unoccupied; inactive
- not operating or being used
- (of money) not being used to earn interest or dividends
- not wanting to work; lazy
- (usually prenominal) frivolous or trivial: idle pleasures
- ineffective or powerless; fruitless; vain
- without basis; unfounded
vb - when tr, often followed by away: to waste or pass (time) fruitlessly or inactively
- (intransitive) (of a shaft, engine, etc) to turn without doing useful work
- (intransitive) (of an engine) to run at low speed with the transmission disengaged
Etymology: Old English īdel; compare Old High German ītal empty, vainˈidleness n ˈidly adv
'idling' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
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