Meaning & use
idler
Last updated
A person who avoids work and spends time doing little or nothing.
See it in a sentence
The manager complained that the new hire was an idler who avoided every task.
He spent his retirement as a happy idler, fishing most afternoons.
A note on using this word
In mechanical contexts, an 'idler wheel' or 'idler gear' transmits motion between other parts without changing speed or power.
Words with a similar meaning
loaferslacker
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
worker
Another way to use it
2. noun
A wheel or pulley that transmits motion or maintains tension without adding power or changing speed.
A worn idler pulley can cause the engine belt to squeal.
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