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idle

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word idle different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of idle are inactive, inert, passive, and supine. While all these words mean "not engaged in work or activity," idle applies to persons that are not busy or occupied or to their powers or their implements.

workers were idle in the fields

When is inactive a more appropriate choice than idle?

The meanings of inactive and idle largely overlap; however, inactive applies to anyone or anything not in action or in operation or at work.

on inactive status as an astronaut
inactive accounts

When could inert be used to replace idle?

The words inert and idle are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, inert as applied to things implies powerlessness to move or to affect other things; as applied to persons it suggests an inherent or habitual indisposition to activity.

inert ingredients in drugs
an inert citizenry

When can passive be used instead of idle?

The words passive and idle can be used in similar contexts, but passive implies immobility or lack of normally expected response to an external force or influence and often suggests deliberate submissiveness or self-control.

passive resistance

When might supine be a better fit than idle?

While in some cases nearly identical to idle, supine applies only to persons and commonly implies abjectness or indolence.

a supine willingness to play the fool

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of idle
Adjective
Modern systems analyze patterns of active work, idle stretches and meeting length in real time, giving leaders a live feed of how productivity drifts through a day. Kolawole Samuel Adebayo, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025 Due to the idle activity, Bangladesh closed three land ports on the Indian border at the end of August, and suspended operations at another. Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
On the runway, planes sat with engines idling, ground crews making final preparations as if departures could come at any moment — all as the courtroom battle played out hundreds of miles away in Washington. Valerie Gonzalez, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025 There are multiple scenes of him as a younger man walking briskly on city streets, briefcase tucked under an arm – purposeful, directed, not idling or taking in the ambiance around him. Matthew Carey, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for idle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idle
Adjective
  • An opportunity to wake a dormant gift.
    Seth Wickersham, The Atlantic, 8 Sep. 2025
  • The Macy’s building sat dormant for over a decade.
    Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Forest walks, lazy lake days, midday swims, and evening bonfires are a part of your regular day.
    Miles Walls, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Camels seem slow, hippos clumsy, phoenixes unstable, lions lazy.
    Francois Botha, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • That’s what was bumming him out.
    Emily Longeretta, Variety, 3 Sep. 2025
  • To be this close over and over is really bumming me out.
    Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Mired in a terrible second-half slump, the center fielder went 2-for-3 with two sacrifice flies after not starting Tuesday and Wednesday and an off day Thursday.
    Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2025
  • The Jayhawks will attempt to learn from their mistakes during an upcoming off week.
    Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Marlowe, lounging behind Frizer, grabbed Frizer’s dagger and struck him in the head; Frizer snatched it back and returned the compliment.
    Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Personalized itineraries While some guests are perfectly happy to lounge by the pool or swim in the ocean, others may want to explore.
    Sherrie Nachman, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • DeSantis appointed his former Chief of Staff James Uthmeier to the vacant attorney general post in February, giving him an incumbent-like advantage for the 2026 election even though voters did not pick him for the job.
    Alexandra Glorioso, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Even Roosevelt, the city’s most cherished school, has been vacant since 2019 and fallen into disrepair.
    Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • With its announcement post, however, the social media platform has put those concerns to rest.
    Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Facing a three-run deficit against the Yankees’ rested bullpen, Houston scored six times and struck six hits against four relievers, taking the sort of at-bats that have been missing for so much of their inconsistent second half.
    Chandler Rome, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The property transfer and payment afforded the city funding to knock down the five-story relic — which had been unused and deteriorating for decades — but clearing the lot of its large pile of debris remained a financial and logistical hurdle.
    Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Normally home to the cathedral's dean, the Tudor-era deanery has been unused since the last dean resigned in March 2025.
    Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Idle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idle. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on idle

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