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idle

adjective
🔊/ˈaɪdl/
🔊/ˈaɪdl/
Idioms
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  1. (disapproving) (of people人) not working hard懈怠的；懒惰的 synonym lazy
    • an idle student懒散的学生
    see also bone idle
    Homophones idle | idolidle   idol
    🔊/ˈaɪdl/
    🔊/ˈaɪdl/
    • idle adjective
      • They haven't been idle since their first success—they still work hard.自从第一次取得成功以来，他们从未没有闲着过，他们仍然在努力。
    • idol noun
      • His bedroom is plastered with pictures of his screen idol Grace Kelly.他的卧室里贴满了他的偶像格蕾丝·凯利（Grace Kelly）的照片。
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • be
    • become
    • remain
    • …
    adverb
    • bone
    See full entry
  2. (of machines, factories, etc.机器、工厂等) not in use闲置的
    • to lie/stand/remain idle闲置着
    Extra Examples
    • Half their machines are lying idle.他们有一半的机器都闲置不用。
    • He did not let the factory become idle.他没让工厂闲置下来。
    • The pumps are standing idle.那些泵闲置着。
    • The land was left idle for years.那片地荒了好几年了。
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • be
    • lie
    • sit
    • …
    See full entry
  3. (of people人) without work没有工作的；闲散的 synonym unemployed
    • Over ten per cent of the workforce is now idle.现在有超过百分之十的劳动力闲置。🔊🔊
    • He never stayed idle for long.他闲散的时间从来不长。
  4. [usually before noun] with no particular purpose or effect漫无目的的；无效的；无用的
    • idle chatter/curiosity无聊的唠叨／好奇
    • It was just an idle threat (= not serious).那只不过是吓唬吓唬而已。🔊🔊
    • It is idle to pretend that their marriage is a success.佯装他们的婚姻有多美满是无意义的。🔊🔊
  5. [usually before noun] (of time时间) not spent doing work or something particular空闲的
    • In idle moments, he carved wooden figures.他空闲时就刻木雕。🔊🔊
    6. Word OriginOld English īdel ‘empty, useless’, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch ijdel ‘vain, frivolous, useless’ and German eitel ‘bare, worthless’.
Idioms
the devil makes work for idle hands
  1. (saying) people who do not have enough to do often start to do wrong人闲生是非
    • She blamed the crimes on the local jobless teenagers. ‘The devil makes work for idle hands,’ she would say.她认为那些违法活动是当地的无业青少年所为，总是说：“人一闲，惹麻烦。”🔊🔊

idle

verb
🔊/ˈaɪdl/
🔊/ˈaɪdl/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they idle
🔊/ˈaɪdl/
🔊/ˈaɪdl/
he / she / it idles
🔊/ˈaɪdlz/
🔊/ˈaɪdlz/
past simple idled
🔊/ˈaɪdld/
🔊/ˈaɪdld/
past participle idled
🔊/ˈaɪdld/
🔊/ˈaɪdld/
-ing form idling
🔊/ˈaɪdlɪŋ/
🔊/ˈaɪdlɪŋ/
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  1. [transitive, intransitive] to spend time doing nothing important混时间；闲荡；无所事事
    • idle something (+ adv./prep.) They idled the days away, talking and watching television.他们天天在闲聊和看电视中消磨时光。🔊🔊
    • (+ adv./prep.) They idled along by the river (= walked slowly and with no particular purpose).他们沿着河边闲逛。🔊🔊
  2. [intransitive] (of an engine发动机) to run slowly while the vehicle is not moving空转；挂空挡；未熄火 synonym tick over
    • She left the car idling at the roadside.她把汽车挂空挡停在路边。🔊🔊
    Topics Transport by car or lorryc2
  3. [transitive] idle somebody/something (North American English) to close a factory, etc. or stop providing work for the workers, especially temporarily（尤指暂时地）关闭工厂，使（工人）闲着
    • The strikes have idled nearly 4 000 workers.罢工使近 4 000 名工人闲着没事干。🔊🔊
    4. Word OriginOld English īdel ‘empty, useless’, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch ijdel ‘vain, frivolous, useless’ and German eitel ‘bare, worthless’.