Synonyms 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.

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

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

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

1. idle

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

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

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms: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"

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

   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

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"

   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

   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

4. idle, unusedadjective

   not in active use

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

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

   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

5. idle, lightadjective

   silly or trivial

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

   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

   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

6. idle, looseadjective

   lacking a sense of restraint or responsibility

   "idle talk"; "a loose tongue"

   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

   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

7. dead, idleadjective

   not yielding a return

   "dead capital"; "idle funds"

   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

   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

8. idle, jobless, out of workverb

   not having a job

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

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

   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

9. idle, tick oververb

   run disconnected or idle

   "the engine is idling"

   Synonyms:
   tick over, slug, laze, stagnate

   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

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"

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

    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

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. idleadjective

   Synonyms:
   unemployed, unoccupied, unbusied, inactive

2. idleadjective

   Synonyms:
   indolent, lazy, slothful, sluggish, inert

3. idleadjective

   Synonyms:
   vacant, unused

4. idleadjective

   Synonyms:
   useless, ineffectual, bootless, fruitless, unavailing, vain, futile, abortive

5. idleadjective

   Synonyms:
   trifling, trivial, unimportant, trashy, foolish, unprofitable

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

1. idleadjective

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

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "idle":

   inactive, idling, inactivity, nonresponsive, dormant, down, downtime, laid-up, idleness, standby, unused

Suggested Resources

1. idle

   Song lyrics by idle -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by idle on the Lyrics.com website.

2. IDLE

   What does IDLE stand for? -- Explore the various meanings for the IDLE acronym on the Abbreviations.com website.

How to pronounce idle?

How to say idle in sign language?

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

1. 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Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use idle in a sentence?

1. Stephen Kaboyo:

   Oil comes with its own hype. This investment seems to be way ahead of its time, these investors won't find enough business activity to support them right away. We'll have idle capacity.

2. President Mahmoud Abbas:

   What happened is a crime by all means, we cannot sit idle and silent (after) this crime, for that, this leadership is meeting now to decide what it wants, and I say honestly all options are open for discussion and for implementation. ... We don't have any other solutions.

3. Thomas a Kempis:

   Never be entirely idle; but either be reading, or writing, or praying or meditating or endeavoring something for the public good.

4. Herbjorn Hansson:

   We see a clear increase in demand, especially from the East, and the oil is also carried over longer distances. There are very few idle ships out there now and the market is much tighter.

5. Michelle Steel:

   I am glad the Administration is finally acting on this issue and now it’s time to approve the Major Disaster Declaration I asked for more than a week ago. The backlog in our ports has caused ships to idle off our coastline for weeks, which may have contributed to the oil spill that devastated our community. I urge the President to approve this request and applaud these efforts to get these ships moving quickly and out of our coastal waters.