1
as in dormant
not being in a state of use, activity, or employment
the car was idle for two weeks while they went on vacation the company's competitors have not been idle in developing rival products
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lazy
not easily aroused to action or work
an idle employee who always seems to be either on break or at lunch
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to lazy
to spend time doing nothing
she likes to idle during the summer and recharge herself for the fall semester we idled away the evening relaxing around the campfire
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of idle
Made By History, Time, 21 Apr. 2025
By adjusting power consumption dynamically, the tool could help reduce unnecessary background activity and extend battery life—especially during idle periods or when apps are not in active use.
—Tahar Rajab, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025
Hasina Jeelani, Vogue, 12 May 2025
The one-time shortstop enjoyed career peaks with 33 home runs and 109 runs batted in as recently as 2023 but has battled injuries since, with a broken toe and a broken wrist idling him for big chunks of time.
—Dan Schlossberg, Forbes.com, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for idle
Adjective
The decline of the whaling industry left the city in panic: shops were empty, wharves were idle, and the number of residents on poor relief nearly doubled.
— Made By History, Time, 21 Apr. 2025
By adjusting power consumption dynamically, the tool could help reduce unnecessary background activity and extend battery life—especially during idle periods or when apps are not in active use.
—Tahar Rajab, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025
Verb
Instead, my family spent time idling in a hammock under a dense canopy of trees, napping in the dappled sunshine.
—Hasina Jeelani, Vogue, 12 May 2025
The one-time shortstop enjoyed career peaks with 33 home runs and 109 runs batted in as recently as 2023 but has battled injuries since, with a broken toe and a broken wrist idling him for big chunks of time.
—Dan Schlossberg, Forbes.com, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for idle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idle
Adjective
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The cause of the blaze has not been determined, but the company has acknowledged that it may have been sparked by a faulty dormant power line operated by Edison.—
Caroline Petrow-Cohen,
Los Angeles Times,
22 May 2025
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Perhaps the Flyers believe that a certain segment of the fan base that’s been dormant through what has been a mostly incompetent decade will awaken with the return of one of the organization’s most popular all-time players now running the day-to-day operations at ice level.—
Kevin Kurz,
New York Times,
21 May 2025
Adjective
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RuPaul wants a Drag Superstar, not an ordinary girl who gets lazy and gets bored.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
23 May 2025
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Some argued that this is standard gentle parenting, while others believed that parents are too lazy to follow through with demands.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 May 2025
Verb
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Everyone — from those actually paying to the ones still bumming a log-in — wants to know how Netflix and other streaming services’ crackdowns on password sharing affect them.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
20 May 2025
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Fans who hoped to see them on the red carpet at last week’s Met Gala were bummed.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
11 May 2025
Adjective
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But the Lions scored three times in the top of the third off USD starter Cal Scolari.—
Bill Center,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 May 2025
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As the Cubs, winners in seven of their last nine, head into an off day Thursday, here are three takeaways from their second straight series victory.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
21 May 2025
Verb
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He could also be seen climbing and lounging in trees placed inside his room.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
People.com,
21 May 2025
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The group exchanged stories and lounged until 3 a.m. Jordan Collins bought a ticket for storytelling at Jai after hearing about it on Inm’s social media.—
Lina Abascal,
Los Angeles Times,
21 May 2025
Adjective
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Sadly, the Skirvin closed its doors in the late '80s and sat vacant for two decades.—
Anne Roderique-Jones,
Travel + Leisure,
24 May 2025
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While the bureau received an exemption to Trump's hiring freeze and posted job openings this month for temporary workers to conduct survey interviews, more than one-fifth of its leadership positions are vacant, according to a public staff roster released earlier this month.—
Hansi Lo Wang,
NPR,
23 May 2025
Verb
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In the first chapter, blue morning light rests over waves crashing against a shoreline, and off into the distance, Yates rides a jet ski, almost comically unbothered by the chop of the sea.—
Lawrence Burney,
Pitchfork,
28 May 2025
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Airmen laid to rest More than 200 people honored Darrigan on Saturday in Wappingers Falls, some waving flags from the sidewalk during the procession to the church, others saluting him at a graveside ceremony under cloudy skies.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
26 May 2025
Adjective
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The Army said 6,700 soldiers will begin arriving Washington, D.C., on June 11 and will sleep on cots inside unused federal office buildings, including the Department of Agriculture.—
Anne Flaherty,
ABC News,
21 May 2025
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Casemiro was an unused substitute in nine out of 15 Premier League matches at the beginning of his new head coach’s tenure.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
21 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Idle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idle. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
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