idle

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[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

Old English īdel, from West Germanic *īdla-. Cognate with Dutch ijdel ‘unimportant’, German eitel ‘bare, worthless’.

[edit] Pronunciation

[edit] Homophones

[edit] Adjective

idle (comparative more idle, superlative most idle)

Positive
idle

Comparative
more idle

Superlative
most idle

  1. (obsolete) Empty, vacant.
  2. Not turned to appropriate use; not occupied.
    idle hours
  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
  5. Of no importance; useless; worthless; vain; trifling; thoughtless; silly.
    an idle story; idle talk; idle rumor

[edit] Synonyms

[edit] Translations

[edit] Verb

Infinitive
to idle

Third person singular
idles

Simple past
idled

Past participle
idled

Present participle
idling

to 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.

[edit] Translations

[edit] Related terms

[edit] References