idle

idle — 形容詞

1. When machines, equipment, or factories are not operating or being used at a give

1.形容詞B1
釋義

閒置的

機器或設施暫未使用

When machines, equipment, or factories are not operating or being used at a given time, they are idle.

例句

The factory's machines have sat idle since the strike began last month.

上個月罷工開始後，工廠的機器就一直閒置著。

sit idle — collocation for machines not operating

With all the computers idle, the office felt strangely quiet.

所有電腦都閒置著，辦公室裡異常安靜。

同義詞
  • inactive

    broader — covers machines, people, or systems not currently active

  • unused

    focuses on the object not being put to use, regardless of whether it could be

  • dormant

    implies a temporary state with potential to become active again

反義詞
  • active

    currently operating or in use

  • working

    in operation or functioning

用法筆記

Often used with 'sit', 'stand', or 'lie': 'sit idle', 'stand idle', 'lie idle'. For people without jobs, use sense 3 (UNEMPLOYED) instead.

常見錯誤

❌The workers have been idle since the factory shut.' (ambiguous — could mean lazy or jobless).
✅The workers have been unemployed since the factory shut.
💡Use 'unemployed' for people without jobs to avoid confusion with the LAZY sense.

2. Describes a stretch of time when a person has no scheduled work or duties and ca

2.形容詞B1
釋義

空閒的

沒有安排工作的時段

Describes a stretch of time when a person has no scheduled work or duties and can rest or do something enjoyable.

例句

In her idle moments, Aoi likes to sketch the trees outside her window.

在空閒時刻，Aoi 喜歡畫窗外樹木的素描。

idle + moments — describes free time between tasks

Quinn spent the idle hours between flights reading a novel.

Quinn 利用航班之間的空閒時間讀了一本小說。

同義詞
  • free

    more general — 'free time' is the common expression; 'idle time' is more formal

  • empty

    less common; 'empty hours' implies boredom, while 'idle hours' is neutral

反義詞
  • busy

    filled with activity or work

文法句型

idle + time noun (moment/period/hour)

用法筆記

Used before nouns of time (moment, period, hour, day). This sense cannot describe a person — 'an idle person' means lazy (sense 5), not a person with free time.

3. A person who is idle has no paid work and is not currently employed.

3.形容詞B1
釋義

失業的

沒有工作的（指人）

A person who is idle has no paid work and is not currently employed.

例句

After the mine closed, half the town was left idle for over a year.

礦場關閉後，鎮上有一半的人失業超過一年。

be left idle — passive construction for loss of employment

Yael has been idle since the company let her go in March.

Yael 從三月份公司資遣她之後就一直失業。

同義詞
  • unemployed

    the more common everyday word; 'idle' is slightly more formal in this sense

  • jobless

    more direct and informal than 'idle'

  • out of work

    phrasal alternative, very common in conversation

反義詞

用法筆記

Applies only to people without jobs. For machines or equipment not operating, use sense 1 (NOT IN USE). Less common than 'unemployed' in everyday speech; 'idle' in this sense has a slightly more formal or literary tone.

常見錯誤

❌The printer has been idle since last week.' (machine).
✅The printer has been out of use since last week.
💡For machines, sense 1 works: 'the printer sat idle' is correct, but 'the printer is idle' may confuse readers between senses 1 and 3.

4. Actions, words, or thoughts that lack a real purpose, practical value, or meanin

4.形容詞B2
釋義

無謂的

缺乏實際目的或效果的

Actions, words, or thoughts that lack a real purpose, practical value, or meaningful effect.

例句

The meeting was full of idle talk that led to no decisions.

那場會議從頭到尾都是在說些沒有結論的閒話。

idle talk — purposeless conversation with no outcome

Salma dismissed the warning as an idle threat from an angry competitor.

Salma 認為競爭對手的警告只是氣話，沒有當一回事。

同義詞
  • pointless

    more direct and negative; 'idle' is softer and often neutral

  • vain

    formal, implies futility; 'idle threat' and 'vain attempt' are fixed patterns

  • empty

    suggests lacking substance; 'empty promise' overlaps with 'idle promise'

反義詞
  • meaningful

    having real purpose or value

  • serious

    carrying genuine intent, especially of threats or promises

文法句型

idle + abstract noun (talk/gossip/curiosity/threat/question)

用法筆記

Common in fixed phrases: 'idle curiosity' (interest without real need to know), 'idle gossip' (talk with no useful purpose), 'idle threat' (not intended to be carried out). This sense is about the nature of the action or words, not about a person's character — contrast with sense 5 (LAZY).

常見錯誤

❌He is an idle student who never studies.' (lazy, not purposeless).
✅That was just idle curiosity
💡I do not need the details.' — Sense 4 describes the action/words, not the person's character.

5. Someone who avoids work or effort and chooses to do nothing instead of useful ta

5.形容詞B2
釋義

懶惰的

不願意付出努力的

Someone who avoids work or effort and chooses to do nothing instead of useful tasks.

例句

The manager scolded the idle workers who had been hiding in the storage room.

經理訓斥了那些躲在儲藏室摸魚的懶散工人。

idle + person — describes a person's character or behaviour

Anong's idle son spends all day playing video games instead of looking for a job.

Anong 那個懶惰的兒子整天打電動，不去找工作。

同義詞
  • lazy

    more common in everyday speech; 'idle' is more formal or literary

  • indolent

    formal, suggests a love of ease and avoidance of exertion

  • shiftless

    strongly negative, implies lack of ambition or initiative

反義詞

用法筆記

This sense carries disapproval and describes a person's character or habitual behaviour. It is less common in modern English than 'lazy' and can sound old-fashioned or literary. Distinguish from sense 4 (PURPOSELESS): sense 4 describes actions/words lacking purpose; sense 5 describes a person unwilling to work.

常見錯誤

❌Idle gossip wasted our time.' (purposeless talk — should be sense 4).
✅My idle neighbour never mows his lawn.
💡Sense 5 describes a lazy person.

idle — 動詞