idler
ˈī-dᵊl-ər 
ˈīd-lər
; idlest
ˈī-dᵊl-əst
ˈīd-ləst
1
: not occupied or employed: such as
a
: having no employment : inactive
idle workers
b
: not turned to normal or appropriate use
idle farmland
c
: not scheduled to compete
the team will be idle tomorrow
2
: lacking worth or basis : vain
idle chatter
idle pleasure
idled; idling
ˈī-dᵊl-iŋ
ˈīd-liŋ
1
: to run at low power and often disconnected usually so that power is not used for useful work
the engine is idling
2
a
: to spend time in idleness
b
: to move idly
1
: to pass in idleness
2
: to cause to idle
3
: to make idle
workers idled by a strike
Synonyms
Adjective
Verb
Examples of idle in a Sentence
Adjective
There has been a lot of idle speculation about what might happen, but no one really knows.
the idle days of summer
Verb
She left the engine idling for a few seconds before she turned it off.
The cars idled in traffic.
A group of boys idled in the doorway.
The factory closed, idling several hundred workers.
Thousands of workers have been idled by the bad economy.
The factory has been idled by the strike.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Alexa Mikhail, Fortune Well, 16 Sep. 2023
As for those implications: The Rangers moved within a half game of idle Houston in the AL West race with just 16 games to play.
—Evan Grant, Dallas News, 15 Sep. 2023
Being energy efficient isn’t just about switching to LED lightbulbs or unplugging idle appliances.
—Bridget Reed Morawski, Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2023
Arrayed against him are Denmark’s idle aristocrats and land barons who are threatened by his farming ingenuity and turn to violence to stop him.
—Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 13 Sep. 2023
The engine pulls cleanly right off idle, and a proper exhaust bark bellows right below your left ear.
—Larry Webster, Car and Driver, 23 Aug. 2023
Renters and everybody else benefit from getting idle property into its most productive use.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Aug. 2023
My favorite figure is a waiter who stands idle in the lowly joint where Donya—the only customer, apparently—tends to dine.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2023
That means plenty of refrigerators are sitting idle, creating food waste issues.
—Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 25 Aug. 2023
Reuters, NBC News, 18 Sep. 2023
At Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, only the 3,300 workers in the assembly area and paint shop have walked off the line, but that is enough to idle the factory.
—Neal E. Boudette Brittany Greeson, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2023
Our guide to avoiding them Sept. 2, 2023 Advertisement
The 85-year-old attorney idled for 10 seconds in traffic outside the shop as his eyes bounced between his rearview mirror and the slots ahead of him.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2023
Several factories were forced to idle or scale back production.
—Amanda Coletta, Washington Post, 5 Sep. 2023
Since the school year began this month, there have been no reports of what was once a common sight in Hammond, Indiana: children, climbing over or under idling trains, risking their lives to get to class.
—Topher Sanders, ProPublica, 25 Aug. 2023
Stellantis idled its Jeep plant in Belvidere earlier this year.
—Chicago Tribune Staff, Chicago Tribune, 9 Aug. 2023
Months later, the company idled its coke ovens because of major equipment problems.
—Max Blau, ProPublica, 1 Sep. 2023
Refrain from idling their vehicles as exhaust contributes considerably to ozone formation.
—Erin Couch, The Enquirer, 22 Aug. 2023
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Adjective
Even after a major business success, Isaacson notes that Musk gears up for the next thing in order to avoid feeling idle.
—Alexa Mikhail, Fortune Well, 16 Sep. 2023
As for those implications: The Rangers moved within a half game of idle Houston in the AL West race with just 16 games to play.
—Evan Grant, Dallas News, 15 Sep. 2023
Being energy efficient isn’t just about switching to LED lightbulbs or unplugging idle appliances.
—Bridget Reed Morawski, Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2023
Arrayed against him are Denmark’s idle aristocrats and land barons who are threatened by his farming ingenuity and turn to violence to stop him.
—Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 13 Sep. 2023
The engine pulls cleanly right off idle, and a proper exhaust bark bellows right below your left ear.
—Larry Webster, Car and Driver, 23 Aug. 2023
Renters and everybody else benefit from getting idle property into its most productive use.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Aug. 2023
My favorite figure is a waiter who stands idle in the lowly joint where Donya—the only customer, apparently—tends to dine.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2023
That means plenty of refrigerators are sitting idle, creating food waste issues.
—Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 25 Aug. 2023
Verb
In late February, Stellantis indefinitely idled operations at the Belvidere plant, citing rising costs of electric vehicle production.
—Reuters, NBC News, 18 Sep. 2023
At Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, only the 3,300 workers in the assembly area and paint shop have walked off the line, but that is enough to idle the factory.
—Neal E. Boudette Brittany Greeson, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2023
Our guide to avoiding them Sept. 2, 2023 Advertisement
The 85-year-old attorney idled for 10 seconds in traffic outside the shop as his eyes bounced between his rearview mirror and the slots ahead of him.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2023
Several factories were forced to idle or scale back production.
—Amanda Coletta, Washington Post, 5 Sep. 2023
Since the school year began this month, there have been no reports of what was once a common sight in Hammond, Indiana: children, climbing over or under idling trains, risking their lives to get to class.
—Topher Sanders, ProPublica, 25 Aug. 2023
Stellantis idled its Jeep plant in Belvidere earlier this year.
—Chicago Tribune Staff, Chicago Tribune, 9 Aug. 2023
Months later, the company idled its coke ovens because of major equipment problems.
—Max Blau, ProPublica, 1 Sep. 2023
Refrain from idling their vehicles as exhaust contributes considerably to ozone formation.
—Erin Couch, The Enquirer, 22 Aug. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'idle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Middle English idel, from Old English īdel; akin to Old High German ītal worthless
First Known Use
Adjective
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Verb
1592, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 2a
Time Traveler
The first known use of idle was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing idle
Dictionary Entries Near idle
Cite this Entry
“Idle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/idle. Accessed 24 Sep. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
idle
1 of 2 adjective1
: having no worth or basis
idle rumors
idle chatter
2
: not being used or employed
idle workers
idle factories
idle hours
3
More from Merriam-Webster on idle
Nglish: Translation of idle for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of idle for Arabic Speakers
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