idle

inactif, désœuvré

Qui ne fait aucun travail ni aucune autre activité utile.

En anglais simple : Not doing any work or other useful activity.

• The workers stood idle.
• I cannot sit idle while everyone else works.
• Several staff members remained idle all morning.

Synonymes : inactive, unoccupied

Contraires : active, busy

Expressions courantes : idle workers, stand idle, remain idle, idle workmen

inutilisé, inoccupé

Qui n’est pas utilisé ou où il y a peu ou pas d’activité.

En anglais simple : Not being used, or containing little or no activity.

• The factory has idle machines.
• She filled her idle hours with reading.
• Much of the available land remains idle.

Synonymes : unused, unoccupied

Contraires : occupied

Expressions courantes : idle hours, idle machinery, idle time

tourner au ralenti

Pour un moteur, fonctionner lentement pendant que le véhicule reste immobile.

En anglais simple : If an engine does this, it runs slowly while the vehicle stays still.

• The engine idled quietly.
• Do not leave your car idling outside the school.
• Several trucks were idling in the car park.

Expressions courantes : idle at lights, idle in traffic, let something idle

paresser, flâner

Passer son temps à faire très peu de choses ou rien d’utile.

En anglais simple : To spend time doing very little or nothing useful.

• We idled by the river.
• He idled around the house all day.
• She was idling in the café when I arrived.

Synonymes : loaf, laze

Contraires : work

Expressions courantes : idle around town, idle by something, idle in bed

gaspiller

Passer du temps sans rien faire d’utile.

En anglais simple : To spend time without doing anything useful.

• They idled away several hours.
• She idled the afternoon away at a café.
• Do not idle away the whole weekend.

Comment l'utiliser : idle away something (We idled away the morning beside the pool.)

Synonymes : waste, while away

Expressions courantes : idle away time, idle away hours, idle the afternoon

ralenti

Réglage de puissance le plus bas qui permet au moteur de continuer à tourner.

En anglais simple : The lowest power setting at which an engine keeps running.

• The engine runs smoothly at idle.
• A rough idle may suggest an engine problem.
• He reduced the throttle to idle.

Expressions courantes : at idle, rough idle, idle speed