Synonyms of idling

idling 1 of 2

noun

as in loafing

Related Words

• loafing
• lounging
• interval
• slacking
• interim
• legal holiday
• rest
• intermission
• holy day
• relaxation
• breather
• feast
• respite
• furlough
• liberty
• vacation
• sabbatical
• leave
• holiday
• recess
• hols
• break

idling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of idle

as in lounging

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• loafing
• lounging
• resting
• dawdling
• chilling
• strolling
• lazing
• playing
• bumming
• droning
• relaxing
• lazying
• lolling
• dillydallying
• poking
• footling
• hanging (around or out)
• killing time
• mucking
• vegging out
• hacking (around)
• lingering
• kicking back
• dallying
• goofing (off)
• messing
• hanging about
• dozing
• loitering
• hibernating
• twiddling one's thumbs
• piddling
• monkeying
• kicking around
• lagging
• sauntering
• trifling
• fooling
• ambling
• estivating
• fiddling (around)
• moseying
• puttering (around)
• pottering (around)
• tarrying
• swanning
• goldbricking
• truanting
• malingering
• furloughing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• working
• laboring
• plowing
• grinding
• sweating
• toiling
• plugging
• hustling
• slaving
• plodding
• humping
• grubbing
• pegging
• applying
• drudging
• buckling (down)
• moiling
• travailing
• exerting
• putting out

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of idling

Noun

There is no penalty associated with unattended idling in state statute, however, individual municipalities have ordinances in place with fines for the action. — Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 18 Nov. 2025

Verb

Video of the confrontation appears to show Nelson idling in a snowy strip mall parking lot in his gray Dodge Ram when another driver in an even larger pickup pulls in beside him. — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026

One aspect that contributed to the gridlock was a number of Waymo's self-driving robotaxis idling on the road as traffic officials tried to remedy the halt in traffic. — Noe Padilla, USA Today, 10 July 2026

The nearly 3,000-foot-long train was patiently idling beside the platform at East Perth Terminal, where a spread of scones, strawberry jam, clotted cream, and Bollinger champagne welcomed eager travelers. — Justin Meneguzzi, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2026

The second album this year from metalcore pioneers Converge is named for a mysterious, pulsing, low-frequency ambient drone, likened by those who hear it to a diesel engine, an idling airplane, or a kind of inescapable torture. — Alex Robert Ross, Pitchfork, 24 June 2026

The roar gave way to brooms scraping asphalt, trucks idling and fans comparing videos on their phones. — C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 18 June 2026

Last week's sell-off was triggered on Wednesday by idling – though robust – revenue projections from chipmaker Broadcom and may have been exacerbated by a call from artificial intelligence startup Anthropic for the sector to slow down its pace of advancements . — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 9 June 2026

The problem is that powering up the engines, idling them, and then using their massive power just to trundle around the tarmac is scarcely economical. — David Szondy june 07, New Atlas, 7 June 2026

His team closely monitors tire pressure on every bus and keeps a watchful eye on idling times. — CBS News, 2 June 2026