idle
/ˈaɪdl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈaɪdl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈī-dᵊl/ (ame, mw) · /ˈaɪ.dəl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈaɪ.dəl/ (ame, ipa)
idle — adjective
- idlepositive
- idlercomparative
- idlestsuperlative
1. When machines, equipment, or factories are not operating or being used at a give
When machines, equipment, or factories are not operating or being used at a given time, they are idle.
The factory's machines have sat idle since the strike began last month.
sit idle — collocation for machines not operating
With all the computers idle, the office felt strangely quiet.
The cranes stood idle at the construction site all weekend.
Élise found three idle servers in the basement, covered in dust.
During the holiday, half the factory's equipment sat idle.
用法筆記
Often used with 'sit', 'stand', or 'lie': 'sit idle', 'stand idle', 'lie idle'. For people without jobs, use sense 3 (UNEMPLOYED) instead.
常見錯誤
2. Describes a stretch of time when a person has no scheduled work or duties and ca
Describes a stretch of time when a person has no scheduled work or duties and can rest or do something enjoyable.
In her idle moments, Aoi likes to sketch the trees outside her window.
idle + moments — describes free time between tasks
Quinn spent the idle hours between flights reading a novel.
Nila filled her idle afternoons with pottery classes at the community centre.
Ziad used his idle moments to practise Cantonese on a phone app.
The idle hours before the ceremony gave everyone time to chat.
- busy
filled with activity or work
文法句型
idle + time noun (moment/period/hour)
用法筆記
Used before nouns of time (moment, period, hour, day). This sense cannot describe a person — 'an idle person' means lazy (sense 5), not a person with free time.
3. A person who is idle has no paid work and is not currently employed.
A person who is idle has no paid work and is not currently employed.
After the mine closed, half the town was left idle for over a year.
be left idle — passive construction for loss of employment
Yael has been idle since the company let her go in March.
Adaeze spent six months idle after the restaurant shut down.
A government programme helps idle workers learn new skills for different industries.
Sofia refused to stay idle and started her own small bakery at home.
- unemployed
the more common everyday word; 'idle' is slightly more formal in this sense
- jobless
more direct and informal than 'idle'
- out of work
phrasal alternative, very common in conversation
用法筆記
Applies only to people without jobs. For machines or equipment not operating, use sense 1 (NOT IN USE). Less common than 'unemployed' in everyday speech; 'idle' in this sense has a slightly more formal or literary tone.
常見錯誤
4. Actions, words, or thoughts that lack a real purpose, practical value, or meanin
Actions, words, or thoughts that lack a real purpose, practical value, or meaningful effect.
The meeting was full of idle talk that led to no decisions.
idle talk — purposeless conversation with no outcome
Salma dismissed the warning as an idle threat from an angry competitor.
Ziad's question was pure idle curiosity — he did not really need an answer.
The newspaper was full of idle speculation about the mayor's private life.
Élise ignored the idle gossip circulating around the office kitchen.
- meaningful
having real purpose or value
- serious
carrying genuine intent, especially of threats or promises
文法句型
idle + abstract noun (talk/gossip/curiosity/threat/question)
用法筆記
Common in fixed phrases: 'idle curiosity' (interest without real need to know), 'idle gossip' (talk with no useful purpose), 'idle threat' (not intended to be carried out). This sense is about the nature of the action or words, not about a person's character — contrast with sense 5 (LAZY).
常見錯誤
5. Someone who avoids work or effort and chooses to do nothing instead of useful ta
Someone who avoids work or effort and chooses to do nothing instead of useful tasks.
The manager scolded the idle workers who had been hiding in the storage room.
idle + person — describes a person's character or behaviour
Anong's idle son spends all day playing video games instead of looking for a job.
The idle apprentice never finished a single task without being told twice.
Sofia's idle colleagues spent more time on their phones than on their desks.
Shanti called her brother idle for sleeping until noon every Saturday.
- hard-working
putting in consistent effort
- industrious
diligent and productive
- diligent
careful and persistent in work
用法筆記
This sense carries disapproval and describes a person's character or habitual behaviour. It is less common in modern English than 'lazy' and can sound old-fashioned or literary. Distinguish from sense 4 (PURPOSELESS): sense 4 describes actions/words lacking purpose; sense 5 describes a person unwilling to work.
常見錯誤
idle — verb
- idlepresent simple I / you / we / they
- idles3rd person singular
- idling-ing form
- idledpast simple
1. When an engine or motor idles, it runs at a slow speed while the vehicle or mach
When an engine or motor idles, it runs at a slow speed while the vehicle or machine is not moving or doing useful work.
Christopher left the engine idling while he ran into the store for milk.
leave + object + idling — causative pattern
The taxi driver sat with the engine idling, waiting for passengers at the station.
Nila turned off the engine after five minutes of idling to save fuel.
The delivery van sat idling at the curb while the driver checked his route.
Adaeze could hear a truck idling outside her window late at night.
- tick over
British English phrasal verb for an engine running slowly while stationary
- rev
to increase the engine speed, usually while stationary
- accelerate
to increase speed and move
文法句型
engine/motor + idle
leave + object + idling
用法筆記
Always intransitive — the engine idles; you do not 'idle the engine' in standard English (though 'leave the engine idling' is common). Many cities have anti-idling laws that limit how long a driver can let an engine run while parked.