Overview of noun idle

The noun idle has 1 sense

• idle -- (the state of an engine or other mechanism that is idling; "the car engine was running at idle")

Overview of verb idle

The verb idle has 2 senses

• idle, tick over -- (run disconnected or idle; "the engine is idling")


• idle, laze, slug, stagnate -- (be idle; exist in a changeless situation; "The old man sat and stagnated on his porch"; "He slugged in bed all morning")

Overview of adj idle

The adj idle has 7 senses

• idle -- (not in action or at work; "an idle laborer"; "idle drifters"; "the idle rich"; "an idle mind")


• baseless, groundless, idle, unfounded, unwarranted, wild -- (without a basis in reason or fact; "baseless gossip"; "the allegations proved groundless"; "idle fears"; "unfounded suspicions"; "unwarranted jealousy")


• idle, unused -- (not in active use; "the machinery sat idle during the strike"; "idle hands")


• idle, light -- (silly or trivial; "idle pleasure"; "light banter"; "light idle chatter")


• idle, loose -- (lacking a sense of restraint or responsibility; "idle talk"; "a loose tongue")


• dead, idle -- (not yielding a return; "dead capital"; "idle funds")


• idle, jobless, out of work -- (not having a job; "idle carpenters"; "jobless transients"; "many people in the area were out of work")