idle

Examples

• All

• The engine's idle was smooth, indicating that it was in good condition.

• Seagrave starts the Porsche, which settles quickly into a husky idle.

  Fiction book (1996)

• Today it was a rough idle.

  Deepwater Horizon (2016)

• Just recently, I started getting a rough idle, but only when the A/C is turned on.

  Blog text (31)

• So that means that at idle, the mini fridge works.

  Linus Tech Tips

• If it won't return to idle immediately, then something else is going on.

  Blog text (5)

• Yes, it returns to the idle that is approximately 950-1000 RPMs.

  Blog text (5)

• The helicopter's engine wound down to an idle, and the swooshing blades slowed to a less distracting pitch.

  Fiction book (1995)

• At idle, the generator uses minimal fuel while maintaining a low but steady power output.

• The truck's idle increased after the mechanic fixed the carburetor, making it much easier to start.

Synonyms

I

idleness

vsidle

8 4.5

A time when someone is not working or active

refers specifically to a machine running slowly without load

Compounds

I

idle talk

1 5.8

Casual talk about small, unimportant things, often gossip

B

bone-idle

• Offensive

1 9.1

Very lazy and not willing to do any work or help

I

idle words

1 8.0

Words that people say but do not mean

I

idle pulley

• Specialized

7.7

A wheel on a shaft that guides and tightens a belt

I

idle wheel

• Specialized

7.7

A wheel that presses on a belt to guide and keep it tight without powering the belt

How Fast

racing

231 1.0

running

43 1.0

idle

• Specialized

11 6.0

Surface Forms

Etymology