English Reference
Adverb

idly

adv.
B2 Upper Intermediate US /ˈaɪdɫi/ UK /ˈaɪdli/ idly

adv.to do something without a clear purpose or because you are bored. You use this when you are just passing time without any real work.

adv.to engage in an activity without a specific goal or purpose; to pass time in a lazy or unproductive manner.


SIMPLE

He sat by the window and idly watched the rain.

CONTEXTUAL

She idly flipped through the magazine while waiting for the coffee to finish brewing.

COMPLEX

The old man spent his afternoons idly wandering through the park, often stopping to chat with the local shopkeepers about the weather and the passing seasons.

In the top image, a rover’s stored energy climbs while it charges in sunlight, then falls at the same rate whether it is working or waiting idly.

The Conversation· 13 Aug 2026

Etymology 1

From Middle English idely, ydelly, idelliche, from Old English īdellīċe, equivalent to idle + -ly.

Etymology 2

From Tamil இட்லி (iṭli), Kannada ಇಡ್ಲಿ (iḍli).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Old English īdellīċe
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated