idle
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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“You are not an idle passenger of history. You get to control the impact that technology has on you and your society.”
From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026
As shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz gradually recovers, major Persian Gulf oil producers are racing to bring idle wells back online.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
The remaining 35% of idle capacity gives Meta an additional monetization lever.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026
Crews that have been idle for months will most likely have "performed regular onboard drills and maintained the ships' machinery, technical installations and equipment", Jakob Larsen, head of security at shipowners' association Bimco, told AFP.
From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026
“How long are you going to waste time here in idle luxury?” a severe voice asked.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
Ripley, a slacker and a con man grinding out a living in postwar New York, is sent to Italy to try to persuade a trust-funded idler to come home and take over the family business.
From New York Times ● Apr. 4, 2024
There is an almost continuous succession of scenes in which Nicholson sketches this idler, lover, jokester, manipulator, con man, gambler, loner.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 25, 2023
Oh, that would be the uncle who willed his farm and estate to Onegin, a charming idler.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 9, 2020
What’s missing is a palpable grit, particularly in Whitted’s performance, that would help us to a belief in Hal’s head-spinning pivot from idler and carouser to beloved hero of the realm.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 10, 2019
There was an interval when Philadelphia would have been searched in vain for another idler as confirmed as I. Having found nothing to do, I proceeded to do it with all my might.
From Our Philadelphia by Pennell, Elizabeth Robins
Shettleston is one of Britain’s poorest, idlest and sickest places; at 64, male life expectancy is 15 years below the national average and falling.
From Economist ● Jul. 10, 2014
On the idlest previous day in the history of the bureau, Feb. 25, 1932, there had been 56 licenses issued.
From Time Magazine Archive
As a matter of fact, the active campaign never came, and for many moons we led the very idlest life down there that soldiers in time of war ever led anywhere.
From Recollections of a Varied Life by Eggleston, George Cary
The subject was idlest village gossip, but it served to divert Hallam's thoughts from his impending errand, and he arrived at the office of the mill in good spirits.
From Reels and Spindles A Story of Mill Life by Merrill, Frank T. (Frank Thayer)
He who reads this without sympathy, ought to reject these volumes as the idlest he ever read, and honour me with his contempt.
From Calamities and Quarrels of Authors by Disraeli, Isaac
On a warm day in mid-May, Grohl appears relaxed and self-assured — but not arrogant — as she idles on a sofa in a cozy Studio City ADU owned by her publicist.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026
As I sit in the car with C after the second ICE vehicle sped off, the remaining Wagoneer idles midblock—right in front of C’s house.
From Slate ● Jan. 16, 2026
A carpenter whose own narrowboat is moored in a clump of four boats says that when one of his neighbours idles her older diesel engine, the exhaust seeps right into his boat, nearly choking him.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2023
“We live right here on the water, sure, we are lucky. But it’s like someone leaves a big truck, just parks it and idles it in front of your house.”
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 24, 2021
The car idles in front of my house.
From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy
His girlfriend, Britany Jacobs, idled their car in a disabled parking spot, accompanied by the couple’s other child.
From Slate ● Jun. 4, 2026
Then there is MP, which restarted the Mountain Pass mine in 2018 External link after it had idled in 2015.
From Barron's ● May 18, 2026
Repositioning of tankers and a return to normal operations for idled plants were among the factors Nasser cited for the delay.
From MarketWatch ● May 11, 2026
In Thailand, a big seafood exporter, fishing fleets have been idled because of rising fuel costs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026
The new schedule idled “half of our potential capability,” York grumbled to Norris Bradbury.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
The officer walked up to my idling Impala and informed me that my left taillight was out.
From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2026
The parking lot would prevent port-bound trucks from idling near schools and parks, he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 27, 2026
Avoid idling, and remember that at higher speeds, your car will be fighting higher winds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 14, 2026
More than 200 tankers are idling on both sides of the strait, leaving Iraq, Kuwait, and Qatar unable to transport crude oil and petroleum products.
From Barron's ● Mar. 5, 2026
The four behind the leader slouched, seeming not so much menacing now as idling, waiting for their next command.
From "The Strangers" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Vocabulary lists containing idle
Some Tricky Homonyms
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The Lazy, Hazy Days of Summer
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List 8
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