Pronunciation: /ˈaɪdəl/
verb to spend time doing nothing; to be inactive
A1 I often idle away my time by watching TV.
A2 She idles around the house all day, never doing any chores.
B1 The workers were idling on the street corner, waiting for the boss to arrive.
B2 He idled his car in the parking lot while he waited for his friend.
C1 The engine idled smoothly as the mechanic made adjustments.
C2 The computer idled in sleep mode until it was activated by a keystroke.
adjective not working or active; unemployed or doing nothing
A1 The cat is idle all day, sleeping in the sun.
A2 The old man sat in the park, his mind idle and wandering.
B1 The machine remained idle for hours due to a technical glitch.
B2 She felt guilty for being idle while her colleagues worked hard on the project.
C1 The CEO was criticized for allowing the company's assets to remain idle.
C2 The artist's creative mind never remained idle, always coming up with new ideas.
formal The machine remained idle for hours due to a technical malfunction.
informal He was just idling around the house all day.
slang Stop being so idle and get to work!
figurative Her mind wandered into idle thoughts during the boring meeting.
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