1 not wanting to work hard; lazy 懒散的: He has the ability to succeed but he is just bone (= very) idle. 他有能力做得到，可就是懒骨头，不肯做。

2 not doing anything; not being used 闲散的；闲置的: She can't bear to be idle. 她这个人闲不下来。The factory stood idle while the machines were being repaired. 机器进行维修时，工厂停工。

3 (only before a noun 只用于名词前) not to be taken seriously because it will not have any result 不必认真对待的: an idle promise/threat 信口许下的诺言；随便说说吓唬人的话idle chatter/curiosity 随便说说；随便打听 ➔idleness noun [U] ➔idly /ˈaɪdli ||; ˈaɪdlɪ/ adv