Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall
give account thereof in the day of judgment. --Matt.
xii. 36.
Down their idle weapons dropped. --Milton.
This idle story became important. --Macaulay.
2. Not called into active service; not turned to appropriate
use; unemployed; as, idle hours.
The idle spear and shield were high uphing.
--Milton.
3. Not employed; unoccupied with business; inactive; doing
nothing; as, idle workmen.
Why stand ye here all the day idle? --Matt. xx. 6.
4. Given rest and ease; averse to labor or employment; lazy;
slothful; as, an idle fellow.
5. Light-headed; foolish. [Obs.] --Ford.
{Idle pulley} (Mach.), a pulley that rests upon a belt to
tighten it; a pulley that only guides a belt and is not
used to transmit power.
{Idle wheel} (Mach.), a gear wheel placed between two others,
to transfer motion from one to the other without changing
the direction of revolution.
{In idle}, in vain. [Obs.] ``God saith, thou shalt not take
the name of thy Lord God in idle.'' --Chaucer.
Syn: Unoccupied; unemployed; vacant; inactive; indolent;
sluggish; slothful; useless; ineffectual; futile;
frivolous; vain; trifling; unprofitable; unimportant.
Usage: {Idle}, {Indolent}, {Lazy}. A propensity to inaction
is expressed by each of these words; they differ in
the cause and degree of this characteristic. Indolent
denotes an habitual love to ease, a settled dislike of
movement or effort; idle is opposed to {busy}, and
denotes a dislike of continuous exertion. Lazy is a
stronger and more contemptuous term than indolent.
2. (Naut.) One who has constant day duties on board ship, and
keeps no regular watch. --Totten.
3. (Mach.) An idle wheel or pulley. See under {Idle}.