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Comparative for not operating or being used
“The old printer has been idle for months.”
Comparative for not functional or operational
“The machines are sitting idle with the ground so wet they cannot work.”
Comparative for doing nothing in particular
“They be worse than idle men indeed, for that they seek to have wages for their loitering.”
Comparative for not easily motivated to action or work
“They always claim to work hard, but in truth, they're nothing but lazy idle sluggards!”
Comparative for not engaged in any occupation or employment
“My son is idle at the moment, looking for work if you have any.”
(of time) Comparative for characterized by inaction or absence of significant activity
“During idle moments, he'll sit straight-backed on a boulder and write in his field book.”
Comparative for frivolous or trivial in nature
“Their culture consists of spending much of their time engaged in idle gossip.”
Comparative for ineffective or useless
“Stuyvesant may have recalled this phrase, which at the time probably seemed nothing but an idle threat.”
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