Idle
adjective
Not active or in use.
She spent an idle afternoon on the beach
Often appears as...
- idle time
- idle talk
verb
To spend time doing nothing.
He idled away the hours on trivial tasks
Often appears as...
- idle about/around
- idle away
adjective
Without purpose or effect or significance.
Idle chatter throughout the entire meeting
Often appears as...
- idle rumor
- idle gossip
Usage tips
Disapproving
verb
Cause a vehicle engine to run while not moving.
The driver idled the car in the parking lot
Often appears as...
- idle the engine
- idle away
adjective
Not having or likely to have any work or employment.
He became idle after the factory closed
Often appears as...
- idle worker
- idle hand
Usage tips
Disapproving
adjective
Not active or in use.
She spent an idle afternoon on the beach
Often appears as...
- idle time
- idle talk
verb
To spend time doing nothing.
He idled away the hours on trivial tasks
Often appears as...
- idle about/around
- idle away
adjective
Without purpose or effect or significance.
Idle chatter throughout the entire meeting
Often appears as...
- idle rumor
- idle gossip
Usage tips
Disapproving
verb
Cause a vehicle engine to run while not moving.
The driver idled the car in the parking lot
Often appears as...
- idle the engine
- idle away
adjective
Not having or likely to have any work or employment.
He became idle after the factory closed
Often appears as...
- idle worker
- idle hand
Usage tips
Disapproving
Definition 1 of 5
Pro Tip 1/2Calm Relaxation
Refers to non-busy, leisure times when you're unwinding.
He enjoyed some idle hours fishing by the lake.
Pro Tip 2/2Not Everything
Use 'idle' to describe something not being used now, but could be again.
The machines lay idle during the holiday.
Pro Tip 1/2Calm Relaxation
Refers to non-busy, leisure times when you're unwinding.
He enjoyed some idle hours fishing by the lake.
Pro Tip 2/2Not Everything
Use 'idle' to describe something not being used now, but could be again.
The machines lay idle during the holiday.
Pro Tip 1/2Calm Relaxation
Refers to non-busy, leisure times when you're unwinding.
He enjoyed some idle hours fishing by the lake.
Pro Tip 2/2Not Everything
Use 'idle' to describe something not being used now, but could be again.
The machines lay idle during the holiday.
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Video examples
Why I choose humanism...
So why despair when the unexpected knocks on the horizon? It is in our nature to create anew, to be inventive and innovative, so why languish in idle expectation of a savior from above? So it is time for us Africans to take our destiny in our hands and realize we have agency in the scheme of life.
Video examples
How to speak monkey: The...
piece by piece, and if we don't work to protect the critically endangered cotton-top tamarin, it will become extinct in our lifetime. If the chirp from one tamarin to the next has proven to be more than just idle chit chat, imagine what else we have left to discover.
Video examples
Gavin Pretor-Pinney:...
he described the clouds as the patron godesses of idle fellows two and a half thousand years ago, and you can see what he means. It's just that these days, us adults seem reluctant to allow ourselves the indulgence of just allowing our imaginations
Video examples
Uğur Şahin and Özlem...
is manufacturing capacity. And idle manufacturing capacity. We must be bringing us into a position that we can produce 12 billion doses of vaccine, if you consider prime boost, within less than six months. And this is technically possible.
Video examples
Paddy Ashdown: The...
"On the idle hill of summer, lazy with the flow of streams, hark I hear a distant drummer, drumming like a sound in dreams, far and near and low and louder on the roads of earth go by, dear to friend and food to powder, soldiers marching,
Video examples
Safari Live - Day 202 PIPE...
live everyone's of course just sit right next to us and then idle their engine it's my favorite thing in the entire world sorry I was just waving and then reminding them that we did do a live Safari show as well and that I can't
Video examples
Seal Population...
short idle nothing adventurous just a lazy day and this year pepra DS which is a very popular at kayaking area loads of people come from all over the UK to paddle here because of so much wildlife and the scenery is so fantastic
Video examples
How did clouds get their...
but fall slowly under the influence of gravity. Some of them stay aloft due to upward convection from the sun-heated ground, but most are in a state of slow, balletic descent. "Clouds are the patron goddesses of idle fellows,"
Video examples
Are indoor vertical...
And finally, and this is really exciting for me personally, indoor vertical farming can actually be integrated seamlessly into the cityscape to help repurpose idle, underutilized and unused urban infrastructure.
Video examples
Daydreaming: The bridge...
chipmunk cheeks Oh daydreaming most people think it's just idle reverie a lapse and attention but what if it's actually the habitual practice of imagining the practice of
Video examples
Why I choose humanism...
So why despair when the unexpected knocks on the horizon? It is in our nature to create anew, to be inventive and innovative, so why languish in idle expectation of a savior from above? So it is time for us Africans to take our destiny in our hands and realize we have agency in the scheme of life.
Video examples
How to speak monkey: The...
piece by piece, and if we don't work to protect the critically endangered cotton-top tamarin, it will become extinct in our lifetime. If the chirp from one tamarin to the next has proven to be more than just idle chit chat, imagine what else we have left to discover.
Video examples
Gavin Pretor-Pinney:...
he described the clouds as the patron godesses of idle fellows two and a half thousand years ago, and you can see what he means. It's just that these days, us adults seem reluctant to allow ourselves the indulgence of just allowing our imaginations
Video examples
Uğur Şahin and Özlem...
is manufacturing capacity. And idle manufacturing capacity. We must be bringing us into a position that we can produce 12 billion doses of vaccine, if you consider prime boost, within less than six months. And this is technically possible.
Video examples
Paddy Ashdown: The...
"On the idle hill of summer, lazy with the flow of streams, hark I hear a distant drummer, drumming like a sound in dreams, far and near and low and louder on the roads of earth go by, dear to friend and food to powder, soldiers marching,
Video examples
Safari Live - Day 202 PIPE...
live everyone's of course just sit right next to us and then idle their engine it's my favorite thing in the entire world sorry I was just waving and then reminding them that we did do a live Safari show as well and that I can't
Video examples
Seal Population...
short idle nothing adventurous just a lazy day and this year pepra DS which is a very popular at kayaking area loads of people come from all over the UK to paddle here because of so much wildlife and the scenery is so fantastic
Video examples
How did clouds get their...
but fall slowly under the influence of gravity. Some of them stay aloft due to upward convection from the sun-heated ground, but most are in a state of slow, balletic descent. "Clouds are the patron goddesses of idle fellows,"
Video examples
Are indoor vertical...
And finally, and this is really exciting for me personally, indoor vertical farming can actually be integrated seamlessly into the cityscape to help repurpose idle, underutilized and unused urban infrastructure.
Video examples
Daydreaming: The bridge...
chipmunk cheeks Oh daydreaming most people think it's just idle reverie a lapse and attention but what if it's actually the habitual practice of imagining the practice of
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Farhan Akhtar
Indian Director
There was a phase when I would just loaf around, doing nothing. It had put my mom under a lot of stress. I knew her stress stemmed from her love for me, yet I never paid attention to her feelings. When it finally hit me that my idleness was taking a toll on her, I was genuinely sad and depressed.
Quote examples
Talulah Riley
English Actress
I believe in honesty and integrity, having a belief system that you've thought through and then stick to. I believe in being creative and contributing, and I believe in taking a stand against injustice that you encounter in everyday life and not being idle in that respect.
Quote examples
Sarah Steele
American Actress
Acting is a lot of waiting to be picked, and I like to do a lot of things at once. I think I will have to find things that are totally mine. I have so much comfort that school and my academic life are totally mine. I hope that there's not a lot of idleness in my future.
Quote examples
Pia Zadora
American Actress
But there's not enough time in life to go sit at a party, have a drink, and make idle conversation. There's too many important things to do. Just being together with my husband, spending time alone, which I have very little of.
Quote examples
Mortimer Adler
American Philosopher
Idling is important. Most people don't know how. They're afraid of it. This explains why they turn on the television set or pick up the newspaper. They think they have to be doing something.
Quote examples
Jesse White
There are a lot of young people out there who need to start using their idle time in a positive way. Parents need to play an important role in making sure their children succeed in school.
Quote examples
Stephen Merchant
English Writer
I used to be quite a big video game player at university and post-university in that weird moment in life before you have a proper job and you've got a lot of idle time.
Quote examples
Lee Radziwill
American Celebrity
I think there's nothing that makes you happier than to be really involved in something. I can't imagine a totally idle life.
Quote examples
Sussanne Khan
I believe that one should always be contributing towards life and never stay idle.
Quote examples
Kenny Beats
American Producer
Idles are the best band in the whole world.
Quote examples
Farhan Akhtar
Indian Director
There was a phase when I would just loaf around, doing nothing. It had put my mom under a lot of stress. I knew her stress stemmed from her love for me, yet I never paid attention to her feelings. When it finally hit me that my idleness was taking a toll on her, I was genuinely sad and depressed.
Quote examples
Talulah Riley
English Actress
I believe in honesty and integrity, having a belief system that you've thought through and then stick to. I believe in being creative and contributing, and I believe in taking a stand against injustice that you encounter in everyday life and not being idle in that respect.
Quote examples
Sarah Steele
American Actress
Acting is a lot of waiting to be picked, and I like to do a lot of things at once. I think I will have to find things that are totally mine. I have so much comfort that school and my academic life are totally mine. I hope that there's not a lot of idleness in my future.
Quote examples
Pia Zadora
American Actress
But there's not enough time in life to go sit at a party, have a drink, and make idle conversation. There's too many important things to do. Just being together with my husband, spending time alone, which I have very little of.
Quote examples
Mortimer Adler
American Philosopher
Idling is important. Most people don't know how. They're afraid of it. This explains why they turn on the television set or pick up the newspaper. They think they have to be doing something.
Quote examples
Jesse White
There are a lot of young people out there who need to start using their idle time in a positive way. Parents need to play an important role in making sure their children succeed in school.
Quote examples
Stephen Merchant
English Writer
I used to be quite a big video game player at university and post-university in that weird moment in life before you have a proper job and you've got a lot of idle time.
Quote examples
Lee Radziwill
American Celebrity
I think there's nothing that makes you happier than to be really involved in something. I can't imagine a totally idle life.
Quote examples
Sussanne Khan
I believe that one should always be contributing towards life and never stay idle.
Quote examples
Kenny Beats
American Producer
Idles are the best band in the whole world.
Example 1 of 10
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