Idle

/ˈaɪdəl/

Meaning & Definition

verb
To spend time doing nothing; to wait around.
He idled away the hours watching television.
adjective
Not active or not in use; doing nothing.
After finishing his project, he spent an idle afternoon reading a book.
Inactive; not having any effect or purpose.
The machinery sat idle during the power outage.
Without purpose or effect; pointless.
They engaged in idle chatter while waiting for the movie to start.

Etymology

Old English 'īdeles', meaning 'empty, void'.

Common Phrases and Expressions

idle hands are the devil's workshop:
A saying suggesting that inactivity can lead to mischief.
idle chatter:
Conversations that are trivial or unimportant.
to be idle:
To not do any work or activity.

Related Words

Slang Meanings

Laid back; relaxed.
He was feeling really idle today, just lounging around.
Doing nothing in a casual way.
We spent the whole afternoon just being idle at the beach.