English adjective: idle | |||
1. | idle not in action or at work | ||
Samples | An idle laborer. Idle drifters. The idle rich. An idle mind. | ||
Similar | bone-idle, bone-lazy, faineant, indolent, lackadaisical, lazy, leisured, otiose, slothful, unengaged, work-shy | ||
See also | ineffective, ineffectual, uneffective, unemployed | ||
Antonyms | busy | ||
2. | idle without a basis in reason or fact | ||
Samples | Baseless gossip. The allegations proved groundless. Idle fears. Unfounded suspicions. Unwarranted jealousy. | ||
Synonyms | baseless, groundless, unfounded, unwarranted, wild | ||
Similar | unsupported | ||
Antonyms | supported | ||
3. | idle not in active use | ||
Samples | The machinery sat idle during the strike. Idle hands. | ||
Synonyms | unused | ||
Similar | inactive | ||
Antonyms | active | ||
4. | idle silly or trivial | ||
Samples | Idle pleasure. Light banter. Light idle chatter. | ||
Synonyms | light | ||
Similar | frivolous | ||
Antonyms | serious | ||
5. | idle lacking a sense of restraint or responsibility | ||
Samples | Idle talk. A loose tongue. | ||
Synonyms | loose | ||
Similar | irresponsible | ||
Antonyms | responsible | ||
6. | idle not yielding a return | ||
Samples | Dead capital. Idle funds. | ||
Synonyms | dead | ||
Similar | unprofitable | ||
Antonyms | profitable | ||
7. | idle not having a job | ||
Samples | Idle carpenters. Jobless transients. Many people in the area were out of work. | ||
Synonyms | jobless, out of work | ||
Similar | unemployed | ||
Antonyms | employed | ||
English noun: idle | |||
1. | idle (state) the state of an engine or other mechanism that is idling | ||
Samples | The car engine was running at idle. | ||
Broader (hypernym) | operation | ||
English verb: idle | |||
1. | idle (contact) run disconnected or idle | ||
Samples | The engine is idling. | ||
Synonyms | tick over | ||
Pattern of use | Something ----s | ||
Antonyms | run | ||
2. | idle (social) be idle; exist in a changeless situation | ||
Samples | The old man sat and stagnated on his porch. He slugged in bed all morning. | ||
Synonyms | laze, slug, stagnate | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | arse about, arse around, bum, bum about, bum around, daydream, frig around, fuck off, lie about, lie around, loaf, loll, loll around, lounge about, lounge around, moon, moon, moon around, moon on, ride the bench, warm the bench, waste one's time | ||
Antonyms | work | ||