idle

• adj. 闲置的；懒惰的；停顿的
• vi. 无所事事；虚度；空转
• vt. 虚度；使空转

词源不详。

1. run disconnected or idle;

"the engine is idling"

2. be idle; exist in a changeless situation;

"The old man sat and stagnated on his porch"

"He slugged in bed all morning"

idle

idle: [OE] ‘Lazy’ is only a secondary meaning of idle. It originally meant ‘useless, worthless’ (as in ‘idle threats’), and the sense ‘lazy’ did not develop until the 13th century (the Old English words for ‘lazy’ were slow and slack). Idle is shared by other West Germanic languages, and its relatives (German eitel ‘vain, futile’ and Dutch ijdel ‘vain, useless, conceited’) point up its original English meaning, but it is not known what its ultimate origins are.

idle (adj.)

Old English idel "empty, void; vain; worthless, useless; not employed," common West Germanic (cognates: Old Saxon idal, Old Frisian idel "empty, worthless," Old Dutch idil, Old High German ital, German eitel "vain, useless, mere, pure"), of unknown origin. Idle threats preserves original sense; meaning "lazy" is c. 1300.

idle (v.)

late 15c., "make vain or worthless," from idle (adj.). Meaning "spend or waste (time)" is from 1650s. Meaning "cause to be idle" is from 1789. Sense of "running slowly and steadily without transmitting power" (as a motor) first recorded 1916. Related: Idled; idling.

idle, lazy

这两个形容词均有"闲散，懒惰"之意。

idle： 通常指不忙，无事可干，一般不含应责备之意。

lazy： 指好逸恶劳，贪闲偷懒，或不愿学习或工作等，常含应受责备之意。

And it is not just individuals: the web makes it easier for companies to rent out spare offices and idle machines, too.

出自-2013年12月阅读原文

The strikes have idled nearly 4 000 workers.

罢工使近4 000名工人闲着没事干。

牛津词典

She left the car idling at the roadside.

她把汽车挂空挡停在路边。

牛津词典

They idled along by the river (= walked slowly and with no particular purpose) .

他们沿着河边闲逛。

牛津词典

They idled the days away, talking and watching television.

他们天天在闲聊和看电视中消磨时光。

牛津词典

[不可数名词]After a period of enforced idleness, she found a new job.

她在被迫闲散了一段时间之后，找到了份新工作。

牛津词典

In idle moments, he carved wooden figures.

他空闲时就刻木雕。

牛津词典

It is idle to pretend that their marriage is a success.

佯称他们的婚姻有多美满是无意义的。

牛津词典

It was just an idle threat (= not serious) .

那只不过是吓唬吓唬而已。

牛津词典

idle chatter/curiosity

无聊的唠叨 / 好奇

牛津词典

Over ten per cent of the workforce is now idle.

现在有超过百分之十的劳动力闲置。

牛津词典

to lie/stand/remain idle

闲置着

牛津词典

an idle student

懒散的学生

牛津词典

Her Daimler limo waits with its engine idling.

她的戴姆勒豪华轿车原地待命,发动机在空转。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

The strike has idled about 55,000 machinists.

罢工使约 55,000 名机械师无事可做。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

Beyond a stand of trees a small plane idled...

在树林的那一边,一架小飞机停在那里,发动机在空转。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

...idled assembly plants.

停业的装配厂

柯林斯高阶英语词典

We spent many hours idling in one of the cafes that line three sides of the tiny piazza...

露天小市场的三面都有小餐馆，我们在其中一家餐馆闲呆了很长时间。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

When they reached his house, Scobie idled a bit, finishing his cigarette...

他们到他家后，斯科比闲逛了一会儿，抽完了他的香烟。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

His statement isn't merely an idle boast.

他的话不仅仅是虚张声势的自夸。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

It was more of an idle threat than anything...

那其实是唬人的话。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

It would be idle to pretend the system is perfect.

假装系统完美无疵是徒劳的。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

Brian kept up the idle chatter for another five minutes.

布赖恩又絮絮地唠叨了5分钟。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

...idle curiosity.

无聊的好奇心

柯林斯高阶英语词典

I never met such an idle bunch of workers in all my life!

我一辈子都没碰到过像他们这样吃白饭的工人！

柯林斯高阶英语词典

...idle bureaucrats who spent the day reading newspapers...

无所事事、整天看报纸的官僚们

柯林斯高阶英语词典

...factories that had been idle for years.

已经闲置多年的工厂

柯林斯高阶英语词典

Now the machine is lying idle.

如今机器闲置着。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

Employees have been idle almost a month because of shortages.

由于原料短缺，员工们已将近一个月无事可做。

柯林斯高阶英语词典