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
Dan Barry, New York Times, 18 May 2025
In a busy warehouse, for instance, human workers and multiple robots performing different tasks—often from different vendors—need a unified system that ensures smooth collaboration, avoiding collisions and idle time.
—Florian Pestoni, Forbes.com, 4 June 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
New Jersey, State of Constant Motion, Learns to Live With Immobility
Trains are idle, the airport is hobbled and large holes have opened on a major highway.
—Dan Barry, New York Times, 18 May 2025
In a busy warehouse, for instance, human workers and multiple robots performing different tasks—often from different vendors—need a unified system that ensures smooth collaboration, avoiding collisions and idle time.
—Florian Pestoni, Forbes.com, 4 June 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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As a measure of how dormant the rivalry is, the two teams have not faced each other since 2008 — a year before Thomas Muller, who will leave Bayern this summer as their record appearance-maker with 751 (so far), had even made his competitive debut.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
7 June 2025
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Before Thursday, the court case had become somewhat dormant since the judge had made initial rulings against Trump’s actions around Harvard student visas.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
5 June 2025
Adjective
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Filter out the lazy networkers who expect instant replies.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
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Hawaiian Falls Waco Water Park boasts an 800-foot-long lazy river, water slides, and a wave pool.—
Lydia Mansel,
Southern Living,
17 June 2025
Verb
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The graduate is not only bummed about the sister’s absence.—
Brian Anthony Hernandez,
People.com,
25 May 2025
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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
Adjective
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Yet Shildt had a relatively rested back end of his bullpen and an off day coming up.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 June 2025
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Some takeaways from a successful series win ahead of an off day Thursday: Mayer heating up Mayer hasn’t even been in the majors for a month, but the 22-year-old has already hit three homers and is finding his groove.—
Jen McCaffrey,
New York Times,
12 June 2025
Verb
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There are two types of people in the summer: those who like to lounge at the beach, and others who want to get their hair wet and feet sandy, taking a dip in the ocean.—
Nicol Natale,
People.com,
13 June 2025
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The playful pup seems full of energy but is also happy to lounge around with his new owner.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 June 2025
Adjective
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In 1870, Mississippi legislators voted 81 to 15 to elect Revels to the Senate to finish the term of one of the state’s two U.S Senate seats, which had been left vacant since the Civil War.—
Bea L. Hines,
Miami Herald,
19 June 2025
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Earlier this month, Udoka was the subject of interest from the New York Knicks for their vacant head coaching position, one that the Rockets vehemently shut down.—
Kelly Iko,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
Verb
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Orlando rested its best offensive weapons after their return from international duty, opting to save them for the second half instead.—
Kyle Foley,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 June 2025
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Edman, who missed 16 games in late April and early May because of the injury, played the final three innings of Tuesday night’s 6-5, 10-inning victory over the Mets, but Roberts planned to rest him Wednesday night.—
Mike Digiovanna,
Oc Register,
7 June 2025
Adjective
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With the right tools and approaches, SREs can look at optimizing utilization and costs—for example, shutting down unused resources instead of just keeping systems running.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
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Vast tracts of underutilized and unused federal land could be sold at a discount to qualified developers, yet with strings attached.—
David Faris,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Idle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idle. Accessed 23 Jun. 2025.
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