idle

idle
idleness, n.idly, adv.
/uyd"l/, adj., idler, idlest, v. idled, idling, n.
adj.
1. not working or active; unemployed; doing nothing: idle workers.
2. not spent or filled with activity: idle hours.
3. not in use or operation; not kept busy: idle machinery.
4. habitually doing nothing or avoiding work; lazy.
5. of no real worth, importance, or significance: idle talk.
6. having no basis or reason; baseless; groundless: idle fears.
7. frivolous; vain: idle pleasures.
8. meaningless; senseless: idle threats.
9. futile; unavailing: idle rage.
v.i.
10. to pass time doing nothing.
11. to move, loiter, or saunter aimlessly: to idle along the avenue.
12. (of a machine, engine, or mechanism) to operate at a low speed, disengaged from the load.
v.t.
13. to pass (time) doing nothing (often fol. by away): to idle away the afternoon.
14. to cause (a person) to be idle: The strike idled many workers.
15. to cause (a machine, engine, or mechanism) to idle: I waited in the car while idling the engine.
n.
16. the state or quality of being idle.
17. the state of a machine, engine, or mechanism that is idling: a cold engine that stalls at idle.
[bef. 900; 1915-20 for def. 12; ME, OE idel (adj.) empty, trifling, vain, useless; c. G eitel]
Syn. 1. sluggish. IDLE, INDOLENT, LAZY, SLOTHFUL apply to a person who is not active. To be IDLE is to be inactive or not working at a job. The word is sometimes derogatory, but not always, since one may be relaxing temporarily or may be idle through necessity: pleasantly idle on a vacation; to be idle because one is unemployed or because supplies are lacking.
The INDOLENT person is naturally disposed to avoid exertion: indolent and slow in movement; an indolent and contented fisherman. The LAZY person is averse to exertion or work, and esp. to continued application; the word is usually derogatory: too lazy to earn a living; incurably lazy. SLOTHFUL denotes a reprehensible unwillingness to carry one's share of the burden: so slothful as to be a burden on others. 5. worthless, trivial, trifling. 7. wasteful. 11. See loiter. 13. waste.
Ant. 1. busy, industrious. 5. important, worthwhile.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • IDLE —  Pour l’article homonyme, voir Eric Idle.  …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Idle — I dle, a. [Compar. {Idler}; superl. {Idlest}.] [OE. idel, AS. [=i]del vain, empty, useless; akin to OS. [=i]dal, D. ijdel, OHG. [=i]tal vain, empty, mere, G. eitel, Dan. & Sw. idel mere, pure, and prob. to Gr. ? clear, pure, ? to burn. Cf.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • idle — [īd′ l] adj. idler, idlest [ME idel < OE, empty, akin to Ger eitel, vain, empty < ? IE base * ai dh, to burn, shine: basic sense, either “only apparent, seeming” or “burned out”] 1. a) having no value, use, or significance; worthless;… …   English World dictionary

  • IDLE — в Windows Тип Интегрированная среда разработки Операционная система …   Википедия

  • Idle — [ aɪdl] (engl. „untätig“, „unausgenutzt“) bezeichnet in der Informatik den Umstand, dass ein Prozess untätig ist oder eine Ressource ungenutzt bleibt. Zum einen ist Idling unerwünscht, da brach liegende Kapazitäten die Effizienz des Systems… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • idle — adj 1 *vain, nugatory, otiose, empty, hollow Analogous words: fruitless, bootless, *futile, vain: *ineffective, ineffectual, inefficacious: trivial, paltry, *petty, trifling Contrasted words: significant, pregnant, meaningful (see …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • IDLE — steht für: International Date Line East, eine der Zonenzeiten der Zeitzone UTC+12 Idle, Bestandteil von Informatik Fachbegriffen (z.B. Idle Task für Leerlaufprozess) Integrated DeveLopment Environment, Entwicklungsumgebung für die… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • idle — idle·hood; idle·man; idle·ness; idle; …   English syllables

  • idle — [adj1] not used; out of action abandoned, asleep, barren, closed down, dead, deserted, down, dusty, empty, gathering dust*, inactive, inert, jobless, laid off, leisured, mothballed, motionless, on the bench*, on the shelf*, out of operation, out… …   New thesaurus

  • Idle — I dle, v. t. To spend in idleness; to waste; to consume; often followed by away; as, to idle away an hour a day. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • idle — ► ADJECTIVE (idler, idlest) 1) avoiding work; lazy. 2) not working or in use. 3) having no purpose or basis: idle threats. ► VERB 1) spend time doing nothing. 2) (of an engine) run slowly w …   English terms dictionary

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