idle — not active or in use; doing nothing
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: not active or in use; doing nothing
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈaɪdl/
Example Sentences
- My laptop has been sitting idle since I discovered the joys of procrastination.
- The idle rich spend their days wondering what to do with all their money.
- Don't let your brain remain idle during the summer break.
idle
ADJECTIVE[/ˈaɪdl/]
not active or in use; doing nothing
The factory machines remained idle during the power outage.
The engine stayed idle while the driver waited at the railroad crossing. (🚗 Engine + ⏸️ Stopped → Idle = running without moving or doing work.)
Instead of staying idle, he sidled onto the stage and finally settled into his new role.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Old English 'idel' meaning empty or useless, which may be related to Proto-Germanic '*idilaz'. The word has Germanic roots and is cognate with Old High German 'ital' (empty).
Breakdown
idle (single morpheme, no productive breakdown) - Old English 'idel' (empty, useless) with no separable prefix or suffix components
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My laptop has been sitting idle since I discovered the joys of procrastination.”
“The idle rich spend their days wondering what to do with all their money.”
“Don't let your brain remain idle during the summer break.”
“His idle comment about her cooking started a three-hour argument.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related
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