idle

The process is somewhat like monitoring a car engine to determine whether it continues running at high speed even when the vehicle is supposed to be idle.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2026

A few pieces of heavy equipment sit idle on the vast cleared tract.

From Barron's ● Oct. 19, 2026

“The idea that there is all this idle cash sitting around that people aren’t thinking of or intentionally using in some way—I think it’s misplaced,” Wurster said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026

After sitting idle for months at a maintenance facility, it relocated in early July to waters off a strip of coastline known as the Kalma Peninsula.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

I turned on the hall light and found myself looking at the books, an idle activity.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam

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

Truant, trōō′ant, n. an idler: a boy who, idly or without excuse, absents himself from school.—adj. wandering from duty: loitering: idle.—v.i. to play truant.—ns.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various

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

"The idlest whim," the prince assured her quietly.

From The Hillman by E. Phillips (Edward Phillips) Oppenheim

It is the idlest thing in the world," he says, "for a man to say, 'I wished it and yet I did not do it.'

From The Conflict of Religions in the Early Roman Empire by T. R. (Terrot Reaveley) Glover

To heap up epithets upon this mysterious force is the idlest sport.

From American Sketches 1908 by Charles Whibley

The company has said it could lay off as many as 500 workers as it idles cold-rolled and coated steel operations in Hamilton, Ontario, and concentrates on hot-roll products.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026

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

While the Legislature idles, some congressional praise is due.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 18, 2021

A line of black town cars idles at the curb while their drivers smoke and chat with each other.

From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon

His endorsement of a proposal to reactivate an idled refinery to process Venezuelan oil appears to have merit.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026

The union and Canadian officials fear significant job losses unless Stellantis resumes production at the auto plant, which has been idled since 2024.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka—Some 15 miles off the southwest coast of Sri Lanka, around 20 empty Iranian oil tankers are stranded, drifting with their engines idled as food, fuel and fresh water run short.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

He said he wanted to restore idled mines to profitability and keep miners employed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026

But by eight-thirty he’d idled his engine at the bank and stood in the cockpit beside the net drum, listening, with the fog settling all around him.

From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson

Owner-operator Deol uses battery-powered electric air conditioning systems installed on both his trucks so he can turn off the engines and avoid idling.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

His comments on the sidelines of G20 talks come as Russian and Ukrainian strikes targeting Black Sea ports have been wrecking and idling agricultural export capacity more quickly than trade flows can recover.

From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026

The previous punishment for idling, as it is known, was £20 but that has now been raised to anywhere from £75 to £150, depending on circumstances.

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026

He preened, grabbed his oversized scissors and opened his mouth to boast, but no one could hear a single word over the deafening roar of Marine One’s idling engines.

From Salon ● Sep. 24, 2026

But for the locomotive idling and a compressor cycling to feed the brakes, the night was ghostly still.

From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario