# idle

/ˈaɪdəɫ/ (US) · /ˈaɪdəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/idle
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. not in use

adjective · CEFR B2

not being used or not working at the moment.

For teachers: not in active use or operation; describing resources or machinery that are currently functional but unoccupied.

- The machines in the factory stood idle during the long holiday weekend.
- The company struggled with the high costs of maintaining idle equipment while waiting for the new contracts to be signed.

### 2. lazy

adjective · CEFR B2

lazy or not willing to work.

For teachers: habitually avoiding work or exertion; lazy or slothful in character.

- He was an idle student who preferred playing games to doing his homework.
- The manager warned that idle employees would not be considered for the year-end performance bonuses.

### 3. useless or silly

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal

having no real purpose or value; silly.

For teachers: lacking substance, utility, or a serious basis; often used to describe talk, threats, or curiosity.

- She didn't want to waste time on idle gossip about her neighbours.
- The diplomat dismissed the rumours as idle speculation, insisting that no formal agreement had been reached.

### 4. engine running slowly

verb · CEFR B2

when an engine runs slowly while the vehicle or machine is not moving.

For teachers: to run at a low speed or out of gear; describing an internal combustion engine ticking over without performing work.

- The taxi driver let the car idle while he waited for the passenger to come outside.
- Modern vehicles are often designed to shut off automatically rather than idle at traffic lights to improve fuel efficiency.

### 5. to waste time

verb · CEFR C1 · Literary

to spend time doing nothing or being lazy.

For teachers: to spend time in an inactive or lazy manner; often used with 'away' when transitive.

- They idled away the afternoon sitting by the river and talking.
- He spent his inheritance idling away his youth in expensive resorts instead of pursuing a career.

### 6. engine state

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

the state of an engine when it is running but not moving.

For teachers: the lowest power setting or speed at which an engine can run steadily.

- The mechanic adjusted the idle because the car kept stalling at red lights.
- The pilot reduced the engines to idle as the aircraft began its final descent toward the runway.

## Examples

- The factory machines sat idle during the long holiday weekend.
- He spent his idle hours wandering through the park and watching the birds instead of looking for a job.
- The board of directors expressed concern over the company's idle capital, arguing that the funds should be reinvested into research and development rather than sitting in low-interest accounts.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.