Idle - English meaning

idiom

To not involve someone or something

Usage examples:

This argument has nothing to do with me., much of the bill has nothing to do with civil rights.

adjective

Silly and pointless.

Usage examples:

A fatuous comment

adjective

Foolish or done without thinking

Usage examples:

A fatuous remark

adjective

Stupid, not correct, or not carefully thought about

Usage examples:

A fatuous idea

adjective

Lacking good sense or judgement; unwise.

Usage examples:

He was foolish enough to confide in her

adjective

Unwise, stupid, or not showing good judgment

Usage examples:

That was a rather foolish thing to do., she was afraid that she would look foolish if she refused.,…

adjective

Not having any serious purpose or value.

Usage examples:

Frivolous ribbons and lacy frills

adjective

(of people) behaving in a silly and foolish way, or (of activities or objects) silly or unimportant

Usage examples:

I’m very frivolous – i just like to have fun., with our justice system there are a lot of frivolous…

adjective

Behaving in a silly way and not taking anything seriously

Usage examples:

I think he sees her as a frivolous young woman., i'm sorry to be so frivolous.

adjective

Not feeling or showing emotion.

Usage examples:

His cold, impassive face

adjective

Not showing or feeling any emotion

Usage examples:

Nick kept his face impassive but his mind was racing., even as the guilty verdict was read, he star…

adjective

If someone's face is impassive, it expresses no emotion, because the person seems not to be affected by the situation they are experiencing.

adjective

Not engaging in or involving any or much physical activity.

Usage examples:

An inactive lifestyle

adjective

Doing nothing

Usage examples:

Knee surgery will keep him physically inactive for two months., about half of the club members are …

adjective

Doing nothing or not doing what you have usually done

Usage examples:

An inactive member of an advisory board, voters who have not participated in an election in three y…

adjective

Lacking sense or meaning; silly.

Usage examples:

Don't badger people with inane questions

adjective

Extremely silly or lacking real meaning or importance

Usage examples:

There are so many inane programs on television!

adjective

Extremely silly or with no real meaning or importance

Usage examples:

He's always making inane remarks., there are too many inane quiz shows on television these days.

adjective

Wanting to avoid activity or exertion; lazy.

Usage examples:

They were indolent and addicted to a life of pleasure

adjective

Without real interest or effort; lazy

Usage examples:

I was an indolent creature who could not imagine action.

adjective

Showing no real interest or effort

Usage examples:

An indolent wave of the hand, an indolent reply

adjective

Lacking the ability or strength to move.

Usage examples:

She lay inert in her bed

adjective

Not moving or not able to move

Usage examples:

The inert figure of a man lay in the front of the car., an inert gas

adjective

Not energetic or interesting

Usage examples:

The narrative is inert and sloppy, as if the author had been writing half-asleep.

adjective

Too small or unimportant to be worth consideration.

Usage examples:

The sum required was insignificant compared with military spending

adjective

Not important or thought to be valuable

Usage examples:

Her problems seemed pretty insignificant compared to her brother’s., my colleagues despised this ma…

adjective

Small or not noticeable, and therefore not considered important

Usage examples:

Why bother arguing about such an insignificant amount of money?, the difference between the two res…

adjective

Lacking enthusiasm and determination; carelessly lazy.

Usage examples:

A lackadaisical defence left spurs adrift in the second half

adjective

Lacking enthusiasm and effort

Usage examples:

The food wasn’t bad but the service was lackadaisical.

adjective

Showing little enthusiasm and effort

Usage examples:

The food was nice enough but the service was somewhat lackadaisical.

verb

(of a person, animal, or plant) lose or lack vitality; grow weak.

Usage examples:

Plants may appear to be languishing simply because they are dormant

verb

To exist in an unpleasant or unwanted situation, often for a long time

Usage examples:

Members of congress have introduced plans, but those have languished.

verb

To be weak or fail to improve

Usage examples:

Traditional industries continue to languish or disappear.

adjective

Characterized by tiredness or inactivity, especially of a pleasurable kind.

Usage examples:

Summer has a slow, languorous feel to it here

adjective

Mentally or physically tired or not active, in a way that feels or looks pleasant

Usage examples:

I felt warm and languorous., his dark eyes were languorous and heavy-lidded.

adjective

Not sufficiently strict, severe, or careful.

Usage examples:

Lax security arrangements at the airport

noun

Lacrosse.

Usage examples:

I wore pads and a helmet whenever i played lax

adjective

Lacking care, attention, or control; not severe or strong enough

Usage examples:

Security at the airport seemed lax., laxity in enforcing safety regulations can cost lives.

adjective

Unwilling to work or use energy.

Usage examples:

He was too lazy to cook

adjective

Not willing to work or use any effort

Usage examples:

Managers had complained that the workers were lazy and unreliable., get out of bed, you lazy thing!…

adjective

Slow and relaxed

Usage examples:

We spent a lazy day on the beach sunbathing.

adjective

Affected by lethargy; sluggish and apathetic.

Usage examples:

I felt tired and a little lethargic

adjective

Lacking in energy; feeling unwilling or unable to do anything

adjective

Having little energy; feeling unwilling and unable to do anything

Usage examples:

I was feeling tired and lethargic.

noun

A weight in boxing and other sports intermediate between featherweight and welterweight. in the amateur boxing scale it ranges from 57 to 60 kg.

Usage examples:

Henry armstrong held world titles at featherweight, lightweight and welterweight simultaneously and…

adjective

Of thin material or build and weighing less than average.

Usage examples:

A lightweight grey suit

adjective

(esp. of clothes) weighing little and therefore not warm

Usage examples:

A lightweight jacket, the movie was a lightweight comedy.

adjective

(of a person or their manner) lacking energy or enthusiasm.

Usage examples:

Bouts of listless depression

adjective

Tired and weak, and lacking energy or interest

Usage examples:

As the tennis match continued in the 90° heat, his play grew listless and he made a number of errors.

adjective

Used to describe an economy, stock market, etc. in which there is not much activity or trade

Usage examples:

Stocks closed mixed in listless trading ahead of saturday's presidential elections.

verb

Spend one's time in an aimless, idle way.

Usage examples:

Don't let him see you loafing about with your hands in your pockets

noun

A quantity of bread that is shaped and baked in one piece and usually sliced before being eaten.

Usage examples:

a loaf of bread

verb

Present participle of loaf

Usage examples:

Stop loafing (about/around) and get on with cleaning the windows!

adjective

Lesser in importance, seriousness, or significance.

Usage examples:

She requested a number of minor alterations

noun

A person under the age of full legal responsibility.

Usage examples:

The court would take account of the minor's wishes

verb

Short for minor suit.

Usage examples:

A bid of two no trumps shows strength in the minors

adjective

Failing to take proper care over something.

Usage examples:

The council had been negligent in its supervision of the children in care

adjective

Failing to be careful enough or to give enough attention to your responsibilities, esp. when this results in harm or loss to others

Usage examples:

She charged her landlord with negligence for not repairing leaks that ruined her rugs.

adjective

Not giving enough care or attention to someone or something that you are responsible for

Usage examples:

It was necessary to prove that the manager had been negligent., be negligent in (doing) sth the cou…

adjective

Causing slight but persistent annoyance, discomfort, or anxiety.

Usage examples:

Niggling aches and pains

verb

Cause slight but persistent annoyance, discomfort, or anxiety.

Usage examples:

Doreen wanted to discuss matters that niggled at her mind

adjective

(of thoughts, worries, or details) unimportant but demanding one’s attention in an annoying way

Usage examples:

She had no niggling doubts like the ones that plagued me.

adjective

(of an amount) very small or meagre.

Usage examples:

She would earn a paltry £33 more a month

adjective

Less than expected or needed; too small or slight

Usage examples:

I don’t think my paltry student grants are enough for us to live on.

adjective

Used to describe an amount of money that is very small

Usage examples:

The savers were getting a paltry 0.1% interest regardless of the balance in their accounts., a palt…

adjective

Relating to or situated on the edge or periphery of something.

Usage examples:

The peripheral areas of europe

noun

A peripheral device.

Usage examples:

Printers and other peripherals

adjective

Not central or of main importance

Usage examples:

First of all, we had to find out who the thief was – getting the money back was a peripheral issue.

adjective

Of little importance; trivial.

Usage examples:

Both groups are known to fight over petty issues

adjective

Small or of little importance

Usage examples:

A petty thief, i don’t have time for petty matters like that., retaliating against the people who h…

adjective

Having little or no sense, use, or purpose.

Usage examples:

Speculating like this is a pointless exercise

adjective

Having no useful purpose

Usage examples:

A pointless argument, the trip seemed pointless.

adjective

Lacking care or attention to duty; negligent.

Usage examples:

It would be very remiss of me not to pass on that information

adjective

Not doing a duty carefully or well enough

Usage examples:

I would be remiss if i didn’t mention it.

adjective

Of little depth.

Usage examples:

Serve the noodles in a shallow bowl

noun

An area of the sea, a lake, or a river where the water is not very deep.

Usage examples:

To see for yourself, inspect the shallows at a pond or pool where the water is clear but also sport…

verb

(of the sea, a lake, or a river) become less deep over time or in a particular place.

Usage examples:

The boat ground to a halt where the water shallowed

adjective

Characterized by laziness, indolence, and a lack of ambition.

Usage examples:

A shiftless lot of good-for-nothings

adjective

Not having determination or purpose

Usage examples:

He says only the shiftless are unemployed.

adjective

Not taut or held tightly in position; loose.

Usage examples:

A slack rope

noun

The part of a rope or line which is not held taut; the loose or unused part.

Usage examples:

I picked up the rod and wound in the slack

verb

Loosen (something, especially a rope).

Usage examples:

Slacking the outhaul allows you to adjust the sail

adjective

Lazy.

Usage examples:

Fatigue made him slothful

adjective

Slow-moving or inactive.

Usage examples:

A sluggish stream

adjective

Existing or occurring at or on the surface.

Usage examples:

The building suffered only superficial damage

adjective

On the surface only; not deep

Usage examples:

A superficial wound, her book on the history of cars in america was extremely superficial., the sto…

idiom

Settle into a comfortable sitting position

phrase

Make little effort; rest.

Usage examples:

I can't take it easy, i have to keep working hard

phrase

Proceed in a calm and relaxed manner.

Usage examples:

No matter where you're headed this summer, take it easy in one of these cool crocheted tops

adjective

Mentally or physically inactive; lethargic.

Usage examples:

We sat around in a torpid state

plural noun

(at oxford university) a series of races for eight-oared rowing boats held in hilary term.

Usage examples:

In my first year i rowed in torpids

adjective

Not active; moving or thinking slowly, especially as a result of being lazy or feeling that you want to sleep

Usage examples:

If you have a sudden loss of cabin pressure at 20,000 feet, passengers will become torpid and then …

adjective

Unimportant or trivial.

Usage examples:

A trifling sum

verb

Treat without seriousness or respect.

Usage examples:

He is not a man to be trifled with

adjective

A trifling matter or amount of money is small or not important

Usage examples:

It was such a trifling sum of money to argue about!

adjective

Of little value or importance.

Usage examples:

Huge fines were imposed for trivial offences

adjective

Lacking in importance or significance.

Usage examples:

Trivial and unimportant details

adjective

Not important

Usage examples:

The money we lost is relatively unimportant, but the emotional stress of being robbed is hard to ge…

adjective

Having no value; worthless.

Usage examples:

Cherished but valueless heirlooms

adjective

Not worth any money

Usage examples:

We thought the chair was an antique worth a lot of money, but it turned out to be a valueless repli…

verb

Live or spend a period of time in a dull, inactive, unchallenging way.

Usage examples:

If she left him alone, he'd sit in front of the television and vegetate

verb

To live or spend time in a way that lacks physical and mental activity and effort

Usage examples:

The children just vegetate in front of the tv all morning.

adjective

Disliking work and trying to avoid it when possible

Usage examples:

Most of the unemployed are not work-shy and genuinely do want jobs.

adjective

Having no real value or use.

Usage examples:

That promise is worthless

adjective

Having no value in money

Usage examples:

Now that the company has gone bankrupt, your contract is worthless., examples of this artist’s earl…

adjective

Having no value

Usage examples:

The stock is virtually worthless, trading at less than 6 cents a share., the security system he bou…