Definition of Idle

idle (noun) - the state of an engine or other mechanism that is idling

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How can idle be used in a sentence?

  1. The system used 13W less power at idle, which is a 15% power savings!

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  2. X - and Z-axis rapid feeds are 30m/min, resulting in short idle times.

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  3. Each day my gun and fire extinguisher both sit idle is another great day.

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  4. 'Why, my uncle told me he would not have me getting into what he calls idle company.

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  5. "Celebrate our time," "The idle are the sad," and a traditional American barn-raising.

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  6. [677] The countryfolk affected to despise the townspeople, whom they dubbed idle and lazy.

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  7. I would ask Malthus why successful labor should entitle the idle to a portion of the products?

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  8. I keep throwing this out in idle conversation after I heard Bruce Sterling say something close to it.

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  9. Cant call idle doodles something that you use, read, see, get informed, communicate at a daily basis, isn't it?

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  10. "I will not be called idle a second time," thought the soldier, and next day he went early and worked his utmost.

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  11. At length, by the help of reason, I succeeded in mastering these, what some would call idle fancies, and fell asleep.

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  12. Presently, however, Christian began to feel idle, which is a good sign in invalids; and soon the days became long and irksome.

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  13. All four cycles (intake, compression, combustion, and exhaust) are completed simultaneously and the need to idle is eliminated.

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  14. The idle are the most miserable -- and none are more miserable in their ever-recurring ennuied hours, than your fashionable idlers.

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  15. He is vexed at what he calls my idle ways, and waste of time: as if I need plod on, like a city clerk, six days a week and no holidays!

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  16. The time since last production is called idle age, and for our collection of destroyed idle structures, the average idle age was 7.8 years.

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  17. Philosophically speaking, this is what Kierkegaard called idle talk, snakke in Danish; what Heidegger called Gerede; what Sartre called bavardage.

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  18. His wife often admonished him of the danger of tampering with the deadly vice of intemperance, but he only laughed at what he termed her idle fears.

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  19. Of all wretched men, surely the idle are the most so; -- those whose life is barren of utility, who have nothing to do except to gratify their senses.

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  20. It's something called idle safe power and it's a small amount of energy but when you leave a monitor plugged into the wall overnight, it really adds up.

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  21. Barbados depends heavily on tourism and to have a major property like Sam Lord's remain idle translates to less foreign exchange to the government's coffer.

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  22. He is free to believe in his own beliefs which, according to Tusar, do not include the Vedic myths or what he calls the idle intellectual approximations of the Avatar.

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  23. When the station is idle, which is most of the time, the equipment is covered in plastic to protect sensitive electronic equipment from dust and other damaging irritants.

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  24. Neither is my word idle; for they both said, when I saw them first, and the king vanquished me in the sports, and on knightly wise won my love, that Siegfried was his man.

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  25. He imagines every place where he comes his theater, and not a look stirring but his spectator; and conceives men's thoughts to be very idle, that is, [only] busy about him.

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  26. Like the king of the forest in the narrow confines of a cage, Sidney's fierce soul raged against the orders that kept his sword idle while the Spanish were wasting the land.

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  27. As the mini uses less than 13W of power at idle, which is up to 10 times less power than a typical desktop PC, it claims to be the most energy-efficient desktop in the world.

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  28. Hindu would be shocked to hear the Puranas described as idle tales, yet he does not make his creed depend on their accuracy, as many in Europe make Christianity depend on miracles.

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  29. But so long as a woman knows how to turn her hand to the book-keeping, the correspondence, the retail business, the orders, and her housekeeping, so as not to sit idle, that is enough.

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  30. But even if the case against society be proved, which is possible, I do not think that society can truly be called idle, because many of those who compose it have no settled occupation.

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  31. "We are not what you might call idle," groaned all the frames together, as the Dimbula climbed a big wave, lay on her side at the top, and shot into the next hollow, twisting in the descent.

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  32. "We are not what you might call idle," groaned all the frames together, as the "Dimbula" climbed a big wave, lay on her side at the top, and shot into the next hollow, twisting as she descended.

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  33. - also known as idle-stop or start-stop and commonly implemented as a 12-volt belt-driven integrated starter-generator, this is the most basic hybrid system that facilitates idle-stop capability.

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  34. That said, I also find that Mexicans (and also Central Americans) are very readily sociable and willing (even eager) to engage in idle conversation while sitting around on park benches or whatnot.

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  35. But this is by no means a monopoly of the so-called idle rich: the hardworking middle and poorer classes have whims and pleasures in a like manner, but have not so much opportunity in indulging in them.

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  36. He was content to say that as long as resources of people and capital were idle - in other words, as long as there was a depression - economic stimulation according to his suggestions should not cause inflation.

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  37. For the rest, as to those which are called idle and cropping arguments, and that which is named the argument against destiny, they are indeed but vain subtleties and captious sophisms, according to this discourse.

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  38. It draws less than 13 watts of power when idle, which is up to 10 times less power than a typical desktop PC, based on energy efficiency categories and products listed within the EPA Energy Star 4.0 database as of February 2009.

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  39. Because of the current lack of clarity regarding high volatile metallurgical coal demand, we have also announced plans that place Mine 84 a long-term idle at the end of the first quarter of 2009, paying off most of the work force.

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  40. They teach us that life is beautiful and to be enjoyed, that infinite laws and infinite ingenuity were not displayed to be called idle and vain, and that, as the insect works according to his instinct, man should labor, from the dictates of reason, with heart and soul to do his best to turn to higher advantage the innumerable advantages afforded him.

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  41. But as to the letters, told her "to assure him that I had not thought of them in that light, and had passed over the expressions he referred to as idle words it would be ridiculous to take offense at; and that my only reason for persevering in this silence had been that Brother disapproved of my writing to gentlemen, and I had promised that I would not write to him.

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Tips for Using idle in a Sentence

You may have an easier time writing sentences with idle if you know what words are likely to come before or after it, or simply what words are often found in the same sentence.

Frequent Predecessors

Words that often come before idle in sentences. For example: "the idle" or "an idle"

  • the
  • an
  • of
  • be
  • is
  • and
  • not
  • been
  • in
  • no

Frequent Successors

Words that often come after idle in sentences. For example: "idle ." or "idle and"

  • .
  • and
  • to
  • time
  • in
  • for
  • or
  • curiosity
  • talk
  • speed

Associated Words

Words that aren't necessarily predecessors or successors, but are often found in the same sentence.

  • idling
  • chatter
  • monty
  • palin
  • throttle
  • python
  • conserve
  • knot
  • cpu
  • knots

Alternate Definitions

  • idle (verb) - run disconnected or idle
  • idle (verb) - be idle; exist in a changeless situation
  • idle (adjective) - not in action or at work
  • idle (adjective) - not in active use
  • idle (adjective) - silly or trivial
  • idle (adjective) - lacking a sense of restraint or responsibility
  • idle (adjective) - not having a job
  • idle (noun) - idleness; indolence
  • idle (noun) - an indolent person
  • idle (adjective) - of no account; useless; vain; trifling; unprofitable; thoughtless; silly; barren
  • idle (adjective) - not called into active service; not turned to appropriate use; unemployed
  • idle (adjective) - not employed; unoccupied with business; inactive; doing nothing
  • idle (adjective) - given rest and ease; averse to labor or employment; lazy; slothful
  • idle (adjective) - light-headed; foolish
  • idle (adjective) - 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 (adjective) - a gear wheel placed between two others, to transfer motion from one to the other without changing the direction of revolution
  • idle (adjective) - in vain
  • idle (intransitive verb) - to lose or spend time in inaction, or without being employed in business
A sentence using idle