Antonyms for idle
ˈaɪd lidle

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:2.0 / 1 vote

1. idle

   Idle in all uses rests upon its root meaning, as derived from the Anglo-Saxon idel, which signifies vain, empty, useless. Idle thus denotes not primarily the absence of action, but vain action — the absence of useful, effective action; the idle schoolboy may be very actively whittling his desk or tormenting his neighbors. Doing nothing whatever is the secondary meaning of idle. One may be temporarily idle of necessity; if he is habitually idle, it is his own fault. Lazy signifies indisposed to exertion, averse to labor; idleness is in fact; laziness is in disposition or inclination. A lazy person may chance to be employed in useful work, but he acts without energy or impetus. We speak figuratively of a lazy stream. The inert person seems like dead matter (characterized by inertia), powerless to move; the sluggish moves heavily and toilsomely; the most active person may sometimes find the bodily or mental powers sluggish. Slothful belongs in the moral realm, denoting a self-indulgent aversion to exertion. "The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth," Prov. xxvi, 15. Indolent is a milder term for the same quality; the slothful man hates action; the indolent man loves inaction. Compare VAIN.

   Antonyms:
   active, busy, diligent, employed, industrious, occupied, working

   Synonyms:
   inactive, indolent, inert, lazy, slothful, sluggish, trifling, unemployed, unoccupied, vacant

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. idle

   Antonyms:
   tilled, occupied, populated, filled, employed, assiduous, industrious

   Synonyms:
   void, unoccupied, waste, vain, empty, unemployed, useless, inactive, lazy, indolent

Princeton's WordNetRate these antonyms:1.0 / 1 vote

1. idleadjective

   the state of an engine or other mechanism that is idling

   "the car engine was running at idle"

   Antonyms:
   overbusy, toiling, busy, profitable, responsible, at work(p), laboring, occupied, up to, labouring, drudging, active, engaged, supported, tied up(p), serious, employed, run, work

2. idleadjective

   not in action or at work

   "an idle laborer"; "idle drifters"; "the idle rich"; "an idle mind"

   Antonyms:
   occupied, overbusy, busy, up to, engaged, drudging, tied up(p), serious, employed, toiling, profitable, laboring, active, at work(p), labouring, supported, responsible, work, run

   Synonyms:
   groundless, loose, baseless, jobless, out of work, wild, light, dead, unused, unwarranted, unfounded

3. baseless, groundless, idle, unfounded, unwarranted, wildadjective

   without a basis in reason or fact

   "baseless gossip"; "the allegations proved groundless"; "idle fears"; "unfounded suspicions"; "unwarranted jealousy"

   Antonyms:
   overbusy, occupied, busy, engaged, responsible, employed, active, laboring, labouring, serious, drudging, profitable, supported, tied up(p), at work(p), up to, toiling, run, work

   Synonyms:
   insupportable, jobless, gaga, raging, violent, untamed, unfounded, unwarrantable, dead, out of work, hazardous, tempestuous, undue, indefensible, godforsaken, dotty, unjustified, uncivilised, uncivilized, waste, baseless, risky, angry, wild, savage, fantastic, barbarian, unjustifiable, crazy, raving mad, unused, groundless, barbaric, furious, light, unwarranted, loose

4. idle, unusedadjective

   not in active use

   "the machinery sat idle during the strike"; "idle hands"

   Antonyms:
   up to, labouring, serious, laboring, toiling, active, at work(p), overbusy, occupied, busy, responsible, profitable, drudging, employed, engaged, supported, tied up(p), run, work

   Synonyms:
   groundless, loose, baseless, jobless, out of work, wild, light, dead, unused, unwarranted, fresh, unfounded

5. idle, lightadjective

   silly or trivial

   "idle pleasure"; "light banter"; "light idle chatter"

   Antonyms:
   profitable, employed, drudging, laboring, supported, tied up(p), serious, labouring, active, up to, busy, overbusy, at work(p), occupied, toiling, engaged, responsible, work, run

   Synonyms:
   light-headed, lite, wanton, unfounded, jobless, wakeful, faint, lightheaded, low-cal, calorie-free, lightsome, dead, out of work, light-colored, unaccented, weak, easy, promiscuous, abstemious, unclouded, clean, light(a), baseless, clear, wild, tripping, short, scant(p), unused, groundless, sluttish, light, swooning, unwarranted, loose

6. idle, looseadjective

   lacking a sense of restraint or responsibility

   "idle talk"; "a loose tongue"

   Antonyms:
   laboring, responsible, active, tied up(p), drudging, profitable, serious, busy, at work(p), occupied, up to, engaged, overbusy, toiling, employed, supported, labouring, work, run

   Synonyms:
   wanton, escaped, wild, sluttish, informal, dead, on the loose(p), out of work, easy, unused, liberal, free, jobless, open, lax, loose, unaffixed, groundless, promiscuous, light, slack, unfounded, baseless, at large(p), unwarranted

7. dead, idleadjective

   not yielding a return

   "dead capital"; "idle funds"

   Antonyms:
   responsible, employed, at work(p), drudging, labouring, up to, serious, tied up(p), toiling, busy, overbusy, active, profitable, laboring, supported, engaged, occupied, run, work

   Synonyms:
   dead(a), wild, bushed(p), dead, out of work, unused, jobless, light, deadened, drained, loose, groundless, utter, beat(p), numb(p), dead(p), unfounded, baseless, stagnant, all in(p), unwarranted

8. idle, jobless, out of workverb

   not having a job

   "idle carpenters"; "jobless transients"; "many people in the area were out of work"

   Antonyms:
   profitable, engaged, tied up(p), active, toiling, drudging, labouring, overbusy, responsible, at work(p), supported, serious, occupied, employed, busy, laboring, up to, run, work

   Synonyms:
   groundless, loose, baseless, jobless, out of work, wild, light, dead, unused, unwarranted, unfounded

9. idle, tick oververb

   run disconnected or idle

   "the engine is idling"

   Antonyms:
   busy, supported, at work(p), drudging, responsible, toiling, overbusy, employed, laboring, active, serious, tied up(p), labouring, engaged, occupied, up to, profitable, work, run

   Synonyms:
   tick over, slug, laze, stagnate

10. idle, laze, slug, stagnateverb

    be idle; exist in a changeless situation

    "The old man sat and stagnated on his porch"; "He slugged in bed all morning"

    Antonyms:
    occupied, overbusy, toiling, engaged, at work(p), up to, labouring, profitable, drudging, tied up(p), laboring, employed, responsible, active, serious, busy, supported, run, work

    Synonyms:
    swig, tick over, slug, laze, stagnate, slog

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. idleadjective

   Synonyms:
   leisure, vain, unavailing, futile, ineffectual, indolent, slothful, inactive, lazy, otiose

How to use idle in a sentence?

1. Thomas Jefferson:

   Determine never to be idle...It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing.

2. Valery Vavilov:

   Data is becoming the next oil, we have collected so much data, but only 2% of all this data has been analyzed; 98% is sitting idle and waiting to be analyzed.

3. President Obama:

   We are in absolute agreement that in the 21st century, we cannot stand idle..and simply allow the borders of Europe to be redrawn at the barrel of the gun.

4. Paulette Jordan:

   I was raised by the community of The Idaho. I was raised by the land, it's my turn, my responsibility to take on this government that has sat idle and disserved the public. The citizens of The Idaho deserve better. We're saying we're not here to be a part of the status quo or the establishment. That's how we in The Idaho are as a people. We are fiercely independent. That needs to be driven back into our government. It needs to work for us, not against us.

5. Sydney Smith:

   There is one piece of advice, in a life of study, which I think no one will object to and that is, every now and then to be completely idle - to do nothing at all.

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