ALL meanings of idly
i·dle
I i - adjective idly not working or active; unemployed; doing nothing: idle workers. 1
- adjective idly not spent or filled with activity: idle hours. 1
- adjective idly not in use or operation; not kept busy: idle machinery. 1
- adjective idly habitually doing nothing or avoiding work; lazy. 1
- noun idly With no particular purpose, reason, or foundation. 1
- adjective idly of no real worth, importance, or significance: idle talk. 1
- adjective idly having no basis or reason; baseless; groundless: idle fears. 1
- adjective idly frivolous; vain: idle pleasures. 1
- adjective idly meaningless; senseless: idle threats. 1
- adjective idly futile; unavailing: idle rage. 1
- verb without object idly to pass time doing nothing. 1
- verb without object idly to move, loiter, or saunter aimlessly: to idle along the avenue. 1
- verb without object idly (of a machine, engine, or mechanism) to operate at a low speed, disengaged from the load. 1
- verb with object idly to pass (time) doing nothing (often followed by away): to idle away the afternoon. 1
- verb with object idly to cause (a person) to be idle: The strike idled many workers. 1
- verb with object idly to cause (a machine, engine, or mechanism) to idle: I waited in the car while idling the engine. 1
- noun idly the state or quality of being idle. 1
- noun idly the state of a machine, engine, or mechanism that is idling: a cold engine that stalls at idle. 1
- adverb idly in a lazy way 1
- adverb idly in an absent-minded way 1
- adverb idly In an idle manner. 0
- adverb idly Without specific purpose, intent or effort. 0