| 释义 |
adjective | verb idleidle1 /ˈaɪdl/ ●○○ adjective ETYMOLOGYidle1Origin: Old English idel ► sit/stand/lie idle Tractors were sitting idle in the fields. ► idle curiosity Out of idle curiosity (=without any real reason or desire to know something), I looked in his drawer. ► idle gossip/chatter/speculation etc. She never took part in the idle office gossip. ► idle threat Haley said he’d quit, and it wasn’t an idle threat (=a threat he did not mean). THESAURUSnot liking work and physical activity, or not making any effort to do anything► lazynot liking work and physical activity, or not making any effort to do anything: He’s too lazy to cook himself dinner. She’s the laziest girl I know. ► idle literary lazy and wasting time: She was an idle and careless girl who liked to gossip instead of working. ► shiftless lazy and not at all interested in working: Some politicians seem to think that anyone who doesn’t have a job is shiftless. ► indolent formal lazy and living a comfortable life: He was the indolent son of wealthy parents. ► slothful literary lazy and not active: The slothful man slept while the others worked in the fields. 1not working or being used: The factory has been idle since May.sit/stand/lie idle Tractors were sitting idle in the fields.2having no useful purpose: Out of idle curiosity (=without any real reason or desire to know something), I looked in his drawer.idle gossip/chatter/speculation etc. She never took part in the idle office gossip. Haley said he’d quit, and it wasn’t an idle threat (=a threat he did not mean).3old-fashioned lazy
► see thesaurus at lazy4the idle rich disapproving rich people who do not have to work—idly adverb adjective | verb idleidle2 verb (idled, idling) VERB TABLEidle |
| Present | I, you, we, they | idle | | he, she, it | idles | | Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | idled | | Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have idled | | he, she, it | has idled | | Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had idled | | Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will idle | | Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have idled |
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| Present | I | am idling | | he, she, it | is idling | | you, we, they | are idling | | Past | I, he, she, it | was idling | | you, we, they | were idling | | Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been idling | | he, she, it | has been idling | | Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been idling | | Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be idling | | Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been idling |
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