idler
ˈī-dᵊl-ər 
ˈīd-lər
; idlest
ˈī-dᵊl-əst
ˈīd-ləst
1
: not occupied or employed: such as
a
: having no employment : inactive
idle workers
b
: not turned to normal or appropriate use
idle farmland
c
: not scheduled to compete
the team will be idle tomorrow
2
: lacking worth or basis : vain
idle chatter
idle pleasure
idled; idling
ˈī-dᵊl-iŋ
ˈīd-liŋ
1
: to run at low power and often disconnected usually so that power is not used for useful work
the engine is idling
2
a
: to spend time in idleness
b
: to move idly
1
: to pass in idleness
2
: to cause to idle
3
: to make idle
workers idled by a strike
Synonyms
Adjective
Verb
Examples of idle in a Sentence
Adjective
There has been a lot of idle speculation about what might happen, but no one really knows.
the idle days of summer
Verb
She left the engine idling for a few seconds before she turned it off.
The cars idled in traffic.
A group of boys idled in the doorway.
The factory closed, idling several hundred workers.
Thousands of workers have been idled by the bad economy.
The factory has been idled by the strike.
Recent Examples on the Web
Matthew MacConnell, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024
The woman, who was not publicly identified, was asleep on an idle F train at the Stillwell Avenue station in Brooklyn just before 7:30 a.m. Sunday, the police department said.
—Doha Madani, NBC News, 23 Dec. 2024
Chris Isidore, CNN, 10 Dec. 2024
Competing against the best of the National League is another matter, but idling just above .500 isn’t palatable to fans in one of the largest markets in the country.
—Jared Wyllys, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for idle 
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Adjective
It's also been treated to a raspy but muted one-off Tolman stainless steel exhaust and an electronic engine management system to improve engine idle, detect low oil pressure and improve cold starts.
—Matthew MacConnell, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024
The woman, who was not publicly identified, was asleep on an idle F train at the Stillwell Avenue station in Brooklyn just before 7:30 a.m. Sunday, the police department said.
—Doha Madani, NBC News, 23 Dec. 2024
Verb
But planes have only just recently started moving along the assembly lines that were idled by the two-month work stoppage.
—Chris Isidore, CNN, 10 Dec. 2024
Competing against the best of the National League is another matter, but idling just above .500 isn’t palatable to fans in one of the largest markets in the country.
—Jared Wyllys, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for idle
Dictionary Entries Near idle
Cite this Entry
“Idle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/idle. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
idle
1 of 2 adjective1
: having no worth or basis
idle rumors
idle chatter
2
: not being used or employed
idle workers
idle factories
idle hours
3
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