1 ADJ [verb-link ADJ] 无事可做的;闲散的 If people who were working are idle, they have no jobs or work. 无事可做的;闲散的
SYN unoccupied, unemployed, redundant, jobless
2 ADJ [verb-link ADJ] (机器、工厂等)闲置的 If machines or factories are idle, they are not working or being used. (机器、工厂等)闲置的
SYN unused, stationary, inactive, out of order
3 ADJ 懒散的;懒惰的;无所事事的 If you say that someone is idle, you disapprove of them because they are not doing anything and you think they should be. 懒散的;懒惰的;无所事事的 [disapproval]
SYN lazy, slow, slack, sluggish
4 ADJ [ADJ n] 琐碎无聊的;毫无意义的 Idle is used to describe something that you do for no particular reason, often because you have nothing better to do. 琐碎无聊的;毫无意义的
SYN trivial, superficial, insignificant, frivolous
5 ADJ [it v-link ADJ to-inf] 徒劳的;徒然的;无用的 If you say that it is idle to do something, you mean that it is not worth doing it, because it will not achieve anything. 徒劳的;徒然的;无用的
SYN useless, vain, pointless, hopeless
6 ADJ [ADJ n] 虚张声势的;唬人的 You refer to an idle threat or boast when you do not think the person making it will or can do what they say. 虚张声势的;唬人的
SYN empty, useless, hollow, vain
7 VERB 无所事事;闲混;闲逛 If you idle, you spend time in a lazy way, doing nothing in particular. 无所事事;闲混;闲逛
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When they reached his house, Scobie idled a bit, finishing his cigarette. [VERB]
他们到他家后，斯科比闲逛了一会儿，抽完了他的香烟。
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We spent many hours idling in one of the cafes that line three sides of the tiny piazza. [VERB]
露天小市场的三面都有小餐馆，我们在其中一家餐馆闲呆了很长时间。
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He idled around afterwards, window shopping until about 5pm. [VERB adv./prep.]
然后他就闲逛，浏览橱窗直到下午 5 点钟左右。
SYN do nothing, slack, hang out [informal] , languish
8 VERB 使（工厂等）停工 To idle a factory or other place of work means to close it down because there is no work to do or because the workers are on strike. 使（工厂等）停工 [US, business] [Also VERB n]
in BRIT, usually use 英国英语通常用 shut down
9 VERB 使闲散;使无事可做 To idle workers means to stop them working. 使闲散;使无事可做 [US, business]
in BRIT, use 英国英语用 lay off
10 VERB (发动机、车辆)空转 If an engine or vehicle is idling, the engine is running slowly and quietly because it is not in gear, and the vehicle is not moving. (发动机、车辆)空转
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Beyond a stand of trees a small plane idled. [VERB]
在树林的那一边,一架小飞机停在那里,发动机在空转。
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Her Daimler limo waits with its engine idling. [VERB]
她的戴姆勒豪华轿车原地待命,发动机在空转。
SYN tick over, be in neutral
Quotations
As idle as a painted ship
Upon a painted ocean Samuel Taylor Coleridge The Ancient Mariner
It is impossible to enjoy idling thoroughly unless one has plenty of work to do Jerome K. Jerome Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow
Satan finds some mischief still
For idle hands to do Isaac Watts Divine Songs for Children
We would all be idle if we could Samuel Johnson
It is better to have loafed and lost than never to have loafed at all James Thurber Fables For Our Time
| Thesaurus | idle Also look up: |
| ADJ. | inactive, jobless, shiftless, unemployed 1 lazy, passive, wasteful; (ant.) busy, productive 3 |
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