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to idle
01
to be at rest or not actively doing anything
Intransitive
Examples
During the afternoon, he chose to idle by the river and enjoy the scenery.
02
to run an engine slowly without being engaged in any work or gear
Intransitive
Grammatical Information
Composition
Simple
Action verb
Regular
Present tense
idle
3rd person singular
idles
Present participle
idling
Past simple
idled
Past participle
idled
Examples
The car idled at the traffic light, waiting for the signal to change.
idle
01
lacking responsibility or purposeful direction
Examples
The young heir led an idle life of indulgence.
02
(of a machine, factory, or similar system) not operating or in active use
Grammatical Information
Composition
Simple
qualitative
Superlative
idlest
Comparative
idler
gradable
Examples
The factory has been idle since last month's power outage.
03
lacking reason or foundation
Examples
She laughed off the idle threats from her classmates.
04
having little or no significance
Examples
They spent the afternoon in idle chatter.
05
not engaged in any occupation
Examples
Many workers were idle after the factory closed.
06
failing to produce results or benefits
Examples
The idle investment earned no interest.
Idle
01
the condition of an engine or machine when it is running without performing work
Grammatical Information
Animacy status
Inanimate
Composition
Compound
Countable
Plural form
idles
Examples
The engine runs at idle while the car is stopped at a traffic light.
