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idle

Tính từNgoại động từNội động từ

Số nhiều: nullQuá khứ: idledPhân từ 2: idledV-ing: idlingSo sánh hơn: more idleSo sánh nhất: most idle

This word carries a distinct sense of wasted potential or suspended animation. When applied to people, it often suggests a lack of ambition or a purposeless drift, though it can occasionally describe a peaceful, guilt-free relaxation. It differs from being simply resting, as it implies a state of being unoccupied when one should perhaps be productive. In a mechanical sense, it describes a state of readiness without progress. An idling engine is consuming energy and creating noise but is not moving the vehicle forward. This creates a tension between the internal activity of the machine and its external stillness.

Ý nghĩa

Tính từ

"The factory machinery has been idle since the strike began."

Tính từ

Lazy or avoiding work.

"He spent an idle afternoon lounging in the garden."

Ngoại động từ

[something]

"She let the car idle in the driveway to warm up."

Nội động từ

[someone]

To spend time doing nothing.

"They spent the whole weekend idling away in the village."

Last Updated: May 27, 2026•Report an Error