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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
1
as in inertia
an inclination not to do work or engage in activities
the brothers' innate idleness meant that neither did much, either inside or outside their ramshackle cabin
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2
as in inaction
lack of action or activity
a day spent in idleness is nice, but a month of doing nothing is boring!
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3
as in neglect
lack of use
the idleness of the machine was apparent by its thick layer of dust
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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
-
How To Solve Today’s Wordle The Hint: A lazy person.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
30 Apr. 2025
-
Other park pulls include a big mix of kiddie rides and Soak City, a 20-acre water park with thrilling slides, a wave pool, and a lazy river.—
Ashlea Halpern,
AFAR Media,
29 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
Noun
-
Hoppe does not take cognizance of the power of inertia.—
Walter E Block,
Oc Register,
11 Apr. 2025
-
The real challenges lie in operational inertia, fragmented adoption and underutilization of existing tools.—
Arthur Zaczkiewicz,
Footwear News,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Children growing up in Baltimore neighborhoods pay the cost of inaction daily, where badges inspire fear rather than security.—
Natasha Dartigue,
Baltimore Sun,
23 Apr. 2025
-
The issue of how to respond to the Fed’s inaction on cutting rates has appeared to create divisions within the Trump administration.—
Ramishah Maruf,
CNN Money,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Anderson was arrested and charged with child neglect and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.—
KC Baker,
People.com,
21 Apr. 2025
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Some states routinely charge women with child neglect or endangerment for drug use during pregnancy (and even prescription medications have raised alarms).—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Idle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idle. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
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