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
Relevance
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
Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 11 July 2025
In particular, the company has focused on an idle, unconnected transmission line that possibly reenergized on the day of the fire.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2025
Nan Z. Da
june 10, Literary Hub, 10 June 2025
The driver, Laguerre was allegedly seen on dash cam video sitting behind the wheel with his eyes closed while the bus idled on the sidewalk.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for idle
Adjective
Located in an idle airstrip near the Big Cypress National Preserve that the DeSantis administration seized from Miami-Dade County using emergency powers, the detention facility is surrounded by wild life and wild lands, which officials have joked could deter undocumented immigrants from escaping.
—Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 11 July 2025
In particular, the company has focused on an idle, unconnected transmission line that possibly reenergized on the day of the fire.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2025
Verb
Kent can often just look foolish onstage, sitting there idling.
—Nan Z. Da
june 10, Literary Hub, 10 June 2025
The driver, Laguerre was allegedly seen on dash cam video sitting behind the wheel with his eyes closed while the bus idled on the sidewalk.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for idle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idle
Adjective
-
This means your lawn is dormant and should be revived with watering.—
Meghan Overdeep,
Southern Living,
22 July 2025
-
Shipbuilding in the United States has been all but dormant.—
Adam Reiss,
NBC news,
17 July 2025
Adjective
-
Babitz is often contrasted with her frenemy Joan Didion—Babitz was cast in the popular imagination as the fun, ditzy sexpot, as opposed to Didion’s cool, cold-blooded stenographer—but the maturity and thoughtfulness of these stories dispel any lazy stereotypes.—
The Atlantic Culture Desk,
The Atlantic,
23 July 2025
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It's adorned as a melting ski resort, featuring cool slides, a lazy river, and a wave pool.—
Lynnette Nicholas,
Parents,
23 July 2025
Verb
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Paired with the gray-ish green color palette, sparse decor, and dark atmospherics in the Institute itself, the bleak vibes may be enough to turn some viewers off for good, especially those horror purists who tune in hoping to be terrified rather than just bummed out.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
13 July 2025
-
In a lot of ways obviously, devastated and bummed out.—
Mike Fitzpatrick,
Baltimore Sun,
5 July 2025
Adjective
-
Avoid wrapping leftover cut lemons in aluminum foil, which can react with the acidity in the fruit, causing an off flavor.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
15 July 2025
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No team could use an off day than the New York Mets.—
John Perrotto,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
Verb
-
Wear wide-leg linen pants out to dinner, to the beach, while lounging around the house, or even to the office.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 July 2025
-
In our opinion, top-tier attire in this clothing category meets the following criteria: soft and breathable materials and unisex silhouettes that are suitable for sleep, lounging, and even running errands.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
17 July 2025
Adjective
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None of the 408 properties — occupied or vacant — at the center of the litigation have a certificate of compliance, according to the city's lawsuit, which also alleges hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid blight violations.—
Nushrat Rahman,
Freep.com,
25 July 2025
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After hosting pop ups at Batch and elsewhere for a couple of years, Lit offered Fulco the vacant trailer space at Batch.—
Matthew Odam,
Austin American Statesman,
25 July 2025
Verb
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In the photo, Spieth and his children's hands can be seen touching the little one, who is resting while wearing a blue onesie with trucks printed on it.—
Kayla Grant,
People.com,
14 July 2025
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And the King doesn’t seem inclined to stop his duties to rest.—
Lissete Lanuza Sáenz,
StyleCaster,
13 July 2025
Adjective
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But other times, windows would be rearranged seemingly at random, with unused space and weird gaps that require you to fuss around and move all your windows around again.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
24 July 2025
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This includes physical assets like IT hardware, networking equipment and office infrastructure, but also intangible assets like intellectual property, unused software licenses, real estate and even entire business units that no longer align with the company’s strategic goals.—
Albert Golukhov,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Idle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idle. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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