Idle

• POS: Adjective, Verb (usu participle), Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: i=dle

CIDE DICTIONARY

Idle, a. [OE. idel, AS. īdel vain, empty, useless; akin to OS. īdal, D. ijdel, OHG. ītal vain, empty, mere, G. eitel, Dan. & Sw. idel mere, pure, and prob. to Gr. clear, pure, to burn. Cf. Ether.].

•  Of no account; useless; vain; trifling; unprofitable; thoughtless; silly; barren.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

  "Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment."  [1913 Webster]

  "Down their idle weapons dropped."  [1913 Webster]

  "This idle story became important."  [1913 Webster]
•  Not called into active service; not turned to appropriate use; unemployed; as, idle hours.  [1913 Webster]

  "The idle spear and shield were high uphing."  [1913 Webster]
•  Not employed; unoccupied with business; inactive; doing nothing; as, idle workmen.  [1913 Webster]

  "Why stand ye here all the day idle?"  [1913 Webster]
•  Given rest and ease; averse to labor or employment; lazy; slothful; as, an idle fellow.  [1913 Webster]
•  Light-headed; foolish.  Ford.  [1913 Webster]

Idle pulley (Mach.), a pulley that rests upon a belt to tighten it; a pulley that only guides a belt and is not used to transmit power. -- Idle wheel (Mach.), a gear wheel placed between two others, to transfer motion from one to the other without changing the direction of revolution. -- In idle, in vain. [Obs.] “God saith, thou shalt not take the name of thy Lord God in idle.” Chaucer.

Syn. -- Unoccupied; unemployed; vacant; inactive; indolent; sluggish; slothful; useless; ineffectual; futile; frivolous; vain; trifling; unprofitable; unimportant.

Idle, v. i. 

 To lose or spend time in inaction, or without being employed in business.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

Idle, v. t. 

 To spend in idleness; to waste; to consume; -- often followed by away; as, to idle away an hour a day.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Idle, adj. & v.
--adj. (idler, idlest)
1 lazy, indolent.
2 not in use; not working; unemployed.
3 (of time etc.) unoccupied.
4 having no special basis or purpose (idle rumour; idle curiosity).
5 useless.
6 (of an action, thought, or word) ineffective, worthless, vain.
--v.
1 a intr. (of an engine) run slowly without doing any work. b tr. cause (an engine) to idle.
2 intr. be idle.
3 tr. (foll. by away) pass (time etc.) in idleness.

Idiom

idle wheel an intermediate wheel between two geared wheels, esp. to allow them to rotate in the same direction.

Derivative

idleness n. idly adv.

Etymology

OE idel empty, useless

THESAURUS

Idle

abortive, absurd, airy, amble, ambling, asinine, asleep, at a standstill, at anchor, at leisure, at liberty, at loose ends, available, baseless, be a sideliner, be still, bootless, brogue, bum, bum around, catchpenny, cautious, circumspect, claudicant, claudicate, coast, contemplative, coquet, crawl, crawling, creep, creeping, creeping like snail, dabble, dally, dally away, dead-still, delay, deliberate, diddle, diddle away, disengaged, do nothing, do-nothing, dog it, dogtrot, dormant, drag, drag along, drag out, dribble away, drift, drivel away, drone, easy, empty, faineant, fallow, faltering, fatuitous, fatuous, fiddle, fiddle with, fiddle-faddle, fidget with, finger with, fixed, flagging, flimsy, flirt, fool, fool around, fool away, fool with, foolish, foot-dragging, free, fribble, fribbling, fritter away, frivol, frivolous, frothy, fruitless, fust, futile, gentle, go dead slow, go slow, goldbrick, goof off, gradual, groundless, halting, hang around, hang fire, hibernate, hobble, hobbled, hobbling, hollow, horse around, idle away, ill-founded, immobile, immotive, inactive, inane, inch, inch along, indolent, inert, insignificant, jerk off, jobless, jog-trot, kid around, kill, kill time, lackadaisical, laissez-aller, laissez-faire, lallygag, languid, languorous, laze, lazy, leisure, leisured, leisurely, lethargic, lie around, lie dormant, light, limp, limping, linger, listless, loaf, loafing, loiter, loiter about, loitering, loll, loll around, lollop around, lollygag, lounge, lounge around, lumbering, lumpen, mark time, meaningless, meditative, mess around, moderate, monkey, monkey around, mooch, mooch around, moon, moon around, mosey, motionless, moveless, muddle away, neuter, neutral, not budge, not stir, nugacious, nugatory, off, off duty, off work, open, otiose, out of commission, out of employ, out of harness, out of work, paralytic, paralyzed, passive, piddle, piss away, play, play around, play with, pointless, poke, poke along, poking, poky, potter, potter away, procrastinating, putter, quiescent, quiet, quietist, quietistic, redundant, relax, relaxed, reluctant, repose, rest, resting, retired, riding at anchor, saunter, sauntering, semiretired, senseless, shallow, shiftless, shuffle along, shuffling, silly, sit around, sit back, sit it out, slack, sleep, sleepy, slender, slight, slothful, slouch, slouch around, slow, slow as death, slow as molasses, slow as slow, slow-crawling, slow-foot, slow-going, slow-legged, slow-moving, slow-paced, slow-poky, slow-running, slow-sailing, slow-stepped, sluggish, slumber, smatter, smolder, snail-paced, snaillike, spare, stagger along, staggering, stagnant, stagnate, stagnating, stand around, standpat, static, stationary, statuelike, still, stock-still, stroll, strolling, superficial, take it easy, tarry, tentative, tinker, toddle, toddle along, toddling, tortoiselike, totter along, tottering, toy, toy with, traipse, trifle, trifle away, trifling, trite, trivial, trudging, turtlelike, twiddle, unavailing, unbased, unemployable, unemployed, unfounded, unfruitful, ungrounded, unhurried, unimportant, unmoved, unmoving, unoccupied, unproductive, unsupportable, unsupported, unsustainable, unsustained, untenable, unused, unwarranted, useless, vacuous, vain, vapid, vegetable, vegetate, vegetative, waddle, waddling, wait and see, walk, waste, watch and wait, while away, windy, without basis, without foundation, workless, worm, worm along, worthless

ROGET THESAURUS

Idle

Unimportance

N unimportance, insignificance, nothingness, immateriality, triviality, levity, frivolity, paltriness, poverty, smallness, vanity, matter of indifference, no object, nothing, nothing to signify, nothing worth speaking of, nothing particular, nothing to boast of, nothing to speak of, small matter, no great matter, trifling matter, mere joke, mere nothing, hardly anything, scarcely anything, nonentity, small beer, cipher, no great shakes, peu de chose, child's play, kinderspiel, toy, plaything, popgun, paper pellet, gimcrack, gewgaw, bauble, trinket, bagatelle, Rickshaw, knickknack, whim-wham, trifle, trifles light as air, yankee notions, trumpery, trash, rubbish, stuff, fatras, frippery, leather or prunello, chaff, drug, froth bubble smoke, cobweb, weed, refuse, scum, joke, jest, snap of the fingers, fudge, fiddlestick, fiddlestick end, pack of nonsense, mere farce, straw, pin, fig, button, rush, bulrush, feather, halfpenny, farthing, brass farthing, doit, peppercorn, jot, rap, pinch of snuff, old son, cent, mill, picayune, pistareen, red cent, minutiae, details, minor details, small fry, dust in the balance, feather in the scale, drop in the ocean, flea-bite, molehill, nine days' wonder, ridiculus mus, flash in the pan, much ado about nothing, unimportant, of little account, of small account, of no account, of little importance, of no importance, immaterial, unessential, nonessential, indifferent, subordinate, mediocre, passable, fair, respectable, tolerable, commonplace, uneventful, mere, common, ordinary, inconsiderable, so-so, insignificant, inappreciable, trifling, trivial, slight, slender, light, flimsy, frothy, idle, puerile, airy, shallow, weak, powerless, frivolous, petty, niggling, piddling, peddling, fribble, inane, ridiculous, farcical, finical, finikin, fiddle-faddle, fingle-fangle, namby-pamby, wishy-washy, milk and water, poor, paltry, pitiful, contemptible, sorry, mean, meager, shabby, miserable, wretched, vile, scrubby, scrannel, weedy, niggardly, scurvy, putid, beggarly, worthless, twopennyhalfpenny, cheap, trashy, catchpenny, gimcrack, trumpery, one- horse, not worth the pains, not worth while, not worth mentioning, not worth speaking of, not worth a thought, not worth a curse, not worth a straw, beneath notice, unworthy of notice, beneath regard, unworthy of regard, beneath consideration, unworthy of consideration, de lana caprina, vain, slightly, rather, somewhat, pretty well, tolerably, for aught one cares, Int, no matter!, pish!, tush!, tut!, pshaw!, pugh!, pooh, pooh-pooh!, fudge!, bosh!, humbug!, fiddlestick, fiddlestick end!, fiddlededee!, never mind!, n'importe!, what signifies it, what boots it, what of it, what of that, what matter, what's the odds, a fig for', stuff!, nonsense!, stuff and nonsense, magno conatu magnas nugas, le jeu ne vaut pas la chandelle, it matters not, it does not signify, it is of no consequence, it is of no importance, elephantus non capit murem, tempete dans un verre d'eau.

Inactivity

N inactivity, inaction, inertness, obstinacy, lull, quiescence, rust, rustiness, idleness, remissness, sloth, indolence, indiligence, dawdling, ergophobia, otiosity, dullness, languor, segnity, segnitude, lentor, sluggishness, procrastination, torpor, torpidity, torpescence, stupor, somnolence, drowsiness, nodding, oscitation, oscitancy, pandiculation, hypnotism, lethargy, statuvolence heaviness, heavy eyelids, sleep, slumber, sound sleep, heavy sleep, balmy sleep, Morpheus, Somnus, coma, trance, ecstasis, dream, hibernation, nap, doze, snooze, siesta, wink of sleep, forty winks, snore, hypnology, dull work, pottering, relaxation, Castle of Indolence, lullaby, sedative, tranquilizer, hypnotic, sleeping pill, relaxant, anaesthetic, general anaesthetic, torpedo, idler, drone, droil, dawdle, mopus, do- little faineant, dummy, sleeping partner, afternoon farmer, truant, bummer, loafer, goldbrick, goldbicker, lounger, lazzarone, lubber, lubbard, slow coach (slow, ), opium eater, lotus eater, slug, lag, sluggard, slugabed, slumberer, dormouse, marmot, waiter on Providence, fruges consumere natus, inactive, motionless, unoccupied, unbusied, indolent, lazy, slothful, idle, lusk, remiss, slack, inert, torpid, sluggish, otiose, languid, supine, heavy, dull, leaden, lumpish, exanimate, soulless, listless, drony, dronish, lazy as Ludlam's dog, dilatory, laggard, lagging, slow, rusty, flagging, lackadaisical, maudlin, fiddle-faddle, pottering, shilly-shally, sleeping asleep, fast asleep, dead asleep, sound asleep, in a sound sleep, sound as a top, dormant, comatose, in the arms of Morpheus, in the lap of Morpheus, sleepy, sleepful, dozy, drowsy, somnolent, torpescent, lethargic, lethargical, somnifacient, statuvolent, statuvolic, heavy, heavy with sleep, napping, somnific, somniferous, soporous, soporific, soporiferous, hypnotic, balmy, dreamy, unawakened, unawakened, sedative, inactively, at leisure, the eyes begin to draw straws, bankrupt of life yet prodigal of ease, better 50 years of Europe than a cycle of Cathay, idly busy rolls their world away, the mystery of folded sleep, the timely dew of sleep, thou driftest gently down the tides of sleep, tired Nature's sweet restorer, balmy sleep.

Folly

N imbecility folly, want of intelligence &c, want of intellect, shadowness, silliness, foolishness, imbecility, incapacity, vacancy of mind, poverty of intellect, weakness of intellect, clouded perception, poor head, apartments to let, stupidity, stolidity, hebetude, dull understanding, meanest capacity, shortsightedness, incompetence, one's weak side, not one's strong point, bias, infatuation, simplicity, puerility, babyhood, dotage, anility, second childishness, fatuity, idiocy, idiotism, driveling, folly, frivolity, irrationality, trifling, ineptitude, nugacity, inconsistency, lip wisdom, conceit, sophistry, giddiness, eccentricity, extravagance, rashness, act of folly, unintelligent, unintellectual, unreasoning, mindless, witless, reasoningless, brainless, halfbaked, having no head, not bright, inapprehensible, weak headed, addle headed, puzzle headed, blunder headed, muddle headed, muddy headed, pig headed, beetle headed, buffle headed, chuckle headed, mutton headed, maggoty headed, grossheaded, beef headed, fat witted, fat-headed, weak-minded, feeble-minded, dull minded, shallow minded, lack- brained, rattle-brained, rattle headed, half witted, lean witted, short witted, dull witted, blunt-witted, shallow-pated, clod-pated, addle- pated, addle-brained, dim-sighted, short-sighted, thick-skulled, weak in the upper story, shallow, borne, weak, wanting, soft, sappy, spoony, dull, dull as a beetle, stupid, heavy, insulse, obtuse, blunt, stolid, doltish, asinine, inapt, prosaic, hebetudinous, childish, child-like, infantine, infantile, babyish, babish, puerile, anile, simple, old-womanish, fatuous, idiotic, imbecile, driveling, blatant, babbling, vacant, sottish, bewildered, blockish, unteachable Boeotian, Boeotic, bovine, ungifted, undiscerning, unenlightened, unwise, unphilosophical, apish, simious, foolish, silly, senseless, irrational, insensate, nonsensical, inept, maudlin, narrow-minded, bigoted, giddy, rash, eccentric, foolish, unwise, injudicious, improper, unreasonable, without reason, ridiculous, absurd, idiotic, silly, stupid, asinine, ill-imagined, ill-advised, ill-judged, ill-devised, mal entendu, inconsistent, irrational, unphilosophical, extravagant, sleeveless, idle, pointless, useless, inexpedient, frivolous, Davus sum non, a fool's bolt is soon shot clitellae bovi sunt im, fools rush in where angels fear to tread, il n' a ni bouche ni eperon, the bookful blockhead, ignorantly read, to varnish nonsense with the charms of sound.