- idle
- 1. adjective
1)
an idle person
Syn:lazy, indolent, slothful, work-shy, shiftless, inactive, sluggish, lethargic, listless; slack, lax, lackadaisical, good-for-nothing; rare otioseAnt:industrious2)being idle won't pay the bills
Syn:unemployed, jobless, out-of-work, redundant, between jobs, workless, unwaged, unoccupiedAnt:employed3)they left the machine idle
Syn:inactive, unused, unoccupied, unemployed, disused; not in use, out of use, out of action, inoperative, nonfunctioning, out of serviceAnt:working4)their idle hours
Syn:unoccupied, spare, empty, vacant, unfilled, availableAnt:busy, full5)idle remarks
Syn:frivolous, trivial, trifling, vain, minor, petty, lightweight, shallow, superficial, insignificant, unimportant, worthless, paltry, niggling, peripheral, inane, fatuous; unnecessary, time-wastingAnt:meaningful, serious6)idle threats
Syn:empty, meaningless, pointless, worthless, vain, hollow, insubstantial, futile, ineffective, ineffectual; groundless, baselessAnt:serious2. verb1)Lily idled on the window seat
Syn:do nothing, be inactive, vegetate, take it easy, mark time, twiddle one's thumbs, kill time, languish, laze, lounge, loll, loaf, loiter; informal hang around, veg out, bum around, lollygagSee note at loiter2)he let the engine idle
Syn:run in neutral, run
Thesaurus of popular words. 2014.