1
as in dormant
not being in a state of use, activity, or employment
the car was idle for two weeks while they went on vacation the company's competitors have not been idle in developing rival products
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lazy
not easily aroused to action or work
an idle employee who always seems to be either on break or at lunch
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to lazy
to spend time doing nothing
she likes to idle during the summer and recharge herself for the fall semester we idled away the evening relaxing around the campfire
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of idle
Rebecca Robbins, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025
These men would have long periods of time being idle, and the contrast between boredom and peril is pretty extreme.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 7 Apr. 2025
Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 25 Mar. 2025
Sitting in his idling pickup one afternoon, Sherlock watched as a Canadian Pacific train rumbled by the grain elevator in the small town of Wimbledon.
—Kirk Siegler, NPR, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for idle
Adjective
Some sites still make generic drugs, with idle capacity that might be able to be repurposed.
—Rebecca Robbins, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025
These men would have long periods of time being idle, and the contrast between boredom and peril is pretty extreme.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 7 Apr. 2025
Verb
Residents were advised to limit driving and reduce emissions-generating activities like idling in drive-thru lanes.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 25 Mar. 2025
Sitting in his idling pickup one afternoon, Sherlock watched as a Canadian Pacific train rumbled by the grain elevator in the small town of Wimbledon.
—Kirk Siegler, NPR, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for idle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idle
Adjective
-
Like the virus that causes chicken pox (varicella-zoster), HPV can lie dormant in the body for decades.—
Liz Szabo,
Scientific American,
29 Apr. 2025
-
Technology teams were left stranded, waiting months for essential components or scrambling to find alternatives from dormant inventories to maintain continuity.—
Archaana Pattabhii,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The natural hot springs and spa are favorites among the more mature crowd, and the indoor pool, two-acre water park (complete with waterslide and a lazy river), and lawn games appeal to younger generations.—
Lydia Mansel,
Southern Living,
18 Apr. 2025
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And, being just 20 minutes from Athens’ city center, the hotel is perfectly positioned for both lazy beach days and quick jaunts to the Acropolis.—
Travel + Leisure Editors,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Fans were still bummed that he was reassigned to minor-league camp.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
17 Mar. 2025
-
For more on Nintendo Switch 2, check out our Switch 2 game wishlist and learn why we’ll be bummed if Switch 2 lacks these features.—
Jordan Minor,
PC Magazine,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Except the Giants did it without an off day, on both sides of the country, and against contending teams.—
Grant Brisbee,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
-
That was enough for the Cavaliers to overcome an off day from All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell, who totaled just 13 points on 4-of-14 shooting from the field and 3-of-8 shooting on threes.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
26 Apr. 2025
Verb
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For lounging at home or casual outings, grab this soft Hanes hoodie that’s marked down to $13 with double discounts.—
Isabel Garcia,
People.com,
26 Apr. 2025
-
In another carousel, the beauty vlogger is seen lounging with a cup of coffee, and in another pic, smiling wearing a pair of shades and a bikini on the sand.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
In her next fight, Shevchenko faced ex-women’s strawweight champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk for the vacant flyweight title.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
19 Apr. 2025
-
And several blocks of tunnel below Chinatown, dug half a century ago for the Second Avenue subway, remain a vacant, unseen taunt.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
After the state rested its case on April 16, Daybell presented a motion for acquittal due to insufficient evidence.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
21 Apr. 2025
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But her new Apple Watch kept sending alerts that her resting heart rate was way higher than normal, jumping from her usual 55 beats per minute up into the 90s.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Any unused bonus will expire after seven days. 21+ and present in participating states.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Apr. 2025
-
Notably, lawmakers also agreed at the last minute to spend $14 million in federal child care funds that had been allocated to Idaho but remained unused.—
Rachel Cohen,
Vox,
17 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Idle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idle. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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