IDLE - Definition & Meaning for Kids
Meaning 1
Part of speech: Adjective
not in action or at work
Example: an idle laborer; idle drifters; the idle rich; an idle mind
Meaning 2
Part of speech: Verb
be idle; exist in a changeless situation
Example: The old man sat and stagnated on his porch; He slugged in bed all morning
Meaning 3
Part of speech: Adjective
not in active use
Example: the machinery sat idle during the strike; idle hands
Meaning 4
Part of speech: Adjective
silly or trivial
Example: idle pleasure; light banter; light idle chatter
Meaning 5
Part of speech: Adjective
lacking a sense of restraint or responsibility
Example: idle talk; a loose tongue
Meaning 6
Part of speech: Adjective
not having a job
Example: idle carpenters; jobless transients; many people in the area were out of work
Synonyms
Loose, Unfounded, Unwarranted, Groundless, Slug
Antonyms
🌱 Word Origin (Etymology)
The word "idle" comes from Proto-Germanic *īdalaz. It started in Old English īdel. Then it appeared in Middle English idel. Many other languages have similar words:.
- Dutch: ijdel
- German Low German: iedel
- German: eitel
- Old Norse: illr
🧩 Fun Fact
This word's path shows how empires, trade, and scholarship spread vocabulary across continents.