English · Word Candidate

idle

/ˈaɪd(ə)l/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: idles · idling · idled

Sense 1

Meaning · English

Not being used appropriately; not occupied; (of time) with no, no important, or not much activity.

Adjective

Examples

idle hours

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

Not engaged in any occupation or employment; unemployed; inactive; doing nothing in particular.

Adjective

Examples

idle workmen

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

To spend (time) in idleness; to waste; to consume.

Verb

Examples

[…] the ne'er-do-anything-at-home who idled his day in immaculate attire and who was banished to Canada on a "remittance," shares his pork and beans with the sourdough, who has scratched rocks and sifted black sand from his infancy.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Meaning · English

To lose or spend time doing nothing, or without being employed in business.

Verb

Examples

to idle in an IRC channel

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “idle” mean?

Not being used appropriately; not occupied; (of time) with no, no important, or not much activity.

Is “idle” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.