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idle
[ ahyd-l ]
adjective
- not working or active; unemployed; doing nothing:
idle workers.
Synonyms:
Antonyms: ,
- not spent or filled with activity:
idle hours.
- not in use or operation; not kept busy:
idle machinery.
- habitually doing nothing or avoiding work; lazy.
- of no real worth, importance, or significance:
idle talk.
Synonyms: , ,
Antonyms: ,
- having no basis or reason; baseless; groundless:
idle fears.
- frivolous; vain:
idle pleasures.
Synonyms:
- meaningless; senseless:
idle threats.
- futile; unavailing:
idle rage.
verb (used without object)
- to pass time doing nothing.
- to move, loiter, or saunter aimlessly:
to idle along the avenue.
- (of a machine, engine, or mechanism) to operate at a low speed, disengaged from the load.
verb (used with object)
- to pass (time) doing nothing (often followed by away ):
to idle away the afternoon.
Synonyms:
- to cause (a person) to be idle:
The strike idled many workers.
- to cause (a machine, engine, or mechanism) to idle:
I waited in the car while idling the engine.
noun
- the state or quality of being idle.
- the state of a machine, engine, or mechanism that is idling:
a cold engine that stalls at idle.
idle
/ ˈɪə /
adjective
- unemployed or unoccupied; inactive
- not operating or being used
- (of money) not being used to earn interest or dividends
- not wanting to work; lazy
- usually prenominal frivolous or trivial
idle pleasures
- ineffective or powerless; fruitless; vain
- without basis; unfounded
verb
- whentr, often foll by away to waste or pass (time) fruitlessly or inactively
he idled the hours away
- intr to loiter or move aimlessly
- intr (of a shaft, engine, etc) to turn without doing useful work
- intr (of an engine) to run at low speed with the transmission disengaged Also (Brit)tick over
- tr to cause to be inactive or unemployed
Derived Forms
- ˈ, adverb
- ˈԱ, noun
Other Word Forms
- ··Ա noun
- · adverb
- ··· adjective
- o·ver···Ա noun
- ܲ·· adjective
- ܲ··Բ adjective
Word History and Origins
Origin of idle1
Word History and Origins
Origin of idle1
Synonym Study
Example Sentences
The possibility that an idle, unconnected transmission line somehow reengerized on Jan. 7 is now “a leading hypothesis” for what started the destructive Eaton fire.
Edison International Chief Executive Pedro Pizarro said earlier this month that the possibility an idle, unconnected Southern California Edison transmission line re-energized is “a leading hypothesis” for what sparked the fire.
The possibility that an idle, unconnected Southern California Edison transmission line somehow reengerized on Jan. 7 is “a leading hypothesis” for what started the destructive Eaton fire, Edison International Chief Executive Pedro Pizarro said Friday.
Southern California Edison changed how crews ground idle transmission towers just days after the Eaton fire, but they won’t say what was changed.
Just weeks after the deadly Eaton fire ignited near three Southern California Edison transmission towers, the utility quietly changed an internal policy on how crews should ground idle electrical pylons.
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