Definitions

idle

[ahyd-l] / ˈaɪd l /

ADJECTIVE

worthless, ineffective

Synonyms

STRONGEST

empty unproductive useless

STRONG

hollow rambling

WEAK

abortive bootless frivolous fruitless futile groundless insignificant irrelevant not serious nugatory of no avail otiose pointless superficial trivial unavailing unhelpful unnecessary unsuccessful vain

Antonyms

WEAK

active ambitious busy diligent effective employed hustling important productive used working worthwhile

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But the effort to get his orchestra on its feet was not an idle gesture.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026

And when my thoughts go idle, they drift to new happy memories that I’ve made all myself: A rainbow over a mountain range after a terrifying hail storm in Texas.

From Salon • Jun. 1, 2026

The report warns that on current trends the ranks of idle youth could rise to more than 1.25 million over the next five years.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

The physical bottleneck clears only if power, grid, cooling and construction scale fast enough to keep the money being spent from sitting idle in a queue.

From MarketWatch • May 21, 2026

There's no parking close to the diner, so I idle in front of a hydrant and wait for Jennica to come out.

From "How It Went Down" by Kekla Magoon

Vocabulary lists containing idle

Some Tricky Homonyms

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

The Lazy, Hazy Days of Summer

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

List 8

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!