idle

English

Wikipedia

Etymology

Old English īdel, from West Germanic *īdla-. Cognate with Dutch ijdel (“vain”), German eitel (“bare, worthless”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: īʹd(ə)l, IPA: /ˈaɪd(ə)l/, X-SAMPA: /"aId(@)l/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪdəl
• Homophones: idol, idyll, idyl (US pronunciation)

Adjective

idle (comparative more idle, superlative most idle)

1. (obsolete) Empty, vacant.
2. Not turned to appropriate use; not occupied.

   idle hours

   My computer hibernates after it has been idle for 30 minutes.

3. Not engaged in any occupation or employment; unemployed; inactive; doing nothing.

   idle workmen

4. Averse to work, labor or employment; lazy; slothful.

   an idle fellow

   • 1907, Robert Chambers, chapter 6, The Younger Set^[1]:

     “I don't mean all of your friends—only a small proportion—which, however, connects your circle with that deadly, idle, brainless bunch—the insolent chatterers at the opera, the gorged dowagers, … !”

5. Of no importance; useless; worthless; vain; trifling; thoughtless; silly.

   an idle story; idle talk; idle rumor

Synonyms

• See also Wikisaurus:lazy

Translations

not turned to appropriate use, not occupied

• Czech: volný (cs)
• Dutch: inactief (nl)
• Greek: αδρανής (el) m (adranís)
• Italian: ozioso (it), inattivo (it)

• Portuguese: vazio (pt), inapropriado (pt), desocupado (pt)
• Spanish: desocupado (es)
• Swahili: zembea (sw)

not engaged in any occupation or employment

• Arabic: عاطل عن العمل (ʕātel ʕan al-ʕāmal)
• Bulgarian: незает (bg) (nezaet)
• Chinese: 闲 (xián)
• Czech: nečinný (cs)
• Dutch: nietsdoend
• Finnish: joutilas, toimeton
• French: oisif (fr)
• German: untätig (de), müßig (de)
• Greek: άνεργος (el) m (ánergos)
• Hungarian: tétlen (hu)

• Italian: ozioso (it), disoccupato (it), inattivo (it)
• Japanese: 暇な (ja) (ひまな, hima na)
• Korean: 게으른 (geeureun)
• Latin: ōtiōsus (la) m
• Portuguese: ocioso (pt), desocupado (pt), desempregado (pt)
• Russian: незанятый (ru) (nezánjatyj) 
• Spanish: ocioso (es)
• Swahili: zembea (sw)
• Swedish: overksam
• Turkish: boş (tr), atıl (tr)

averse to work or labor

• Czech: líný (cs)
• Finnish: laiska (fi)
• French: inactif (fr)
• Greek: οκνηρός (el) m (oknirós)
• Italian: pigro (it), indolente (it), ozioso (it), infingardo (it)

• Latin: ōtiōsus (la) m
• Polish: leniwy (pl) m
• Portuguese: preguiçoso (pt), vagabundo (pt)
• Spanish: vagabundo (es)
• Swahili: zembea (sw)

of no importance, worthless, useless

• Czech: nepotřebný (cs), neužitečný (cs)
• Finnish: joutava (fi)
• German: nutzlos (de), müßig (de), überflüssig (de)
• Greek: άχρηστος (el) m (áchristos), ανώφελος (el) m (anófelos)

• Italian: inutile (it), vano (it)
• Portuguese: inútil (pt), imprestável (pt), vão (pt)
• Swahili: zembea (sw)
• Turkish: boş (tr)

Verb

idle (third-person singular simple present idles, present participle idling, simple past and past participle idled)

1. (transitive) To spend in idleness; to waste; to consume.
2. (intransitive) To lose or spend time doing nothing, or without being employed in business.
3. (intransitive) Of an engine: to run at a slow speed, or out of gear; to tick over.

Translations

to spend in idleness, to waste

• Czech: mrhat (cs)
• Hebrew: אבטלה (he) (av"talah)
• Italian: perdere tempo (it), girare a vuoto (it), sprecare tempo (it), sciupare nell'ozio (it)

• Scottish Gaelic: caith (gd)
• Spanish: flojear (es)
• Swahili: zembea (sw)

to lose or spend time doing nothing

• Czech: zahálet (cs)
• Finnish: olla vapaalla (fi), maleksia (fi)
• French: fainéanter (fr)
• Hebrew: אבטלה (he) (av"talah)

• Hungarian: henyél (hu)
• Italian: oziare (it)
• Portuguese: perder tempo (pt)
• Swahili: zembea (sw)

to run at a slow speed, or out of gear

• Finnish: olla joutokäynnillä
• Italian: girare al minimo (it), in folle (it)

• Swahili: zembea (sw)
• Swedish: gå på tomgång (sv)

Related terms

• idler

References

• idle in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
• idle in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913

Anagrams

• deli
• diel
• lied