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Idle, adj. 1) not occupied, inactive, lazy, doing nothing: to take advantage of all i. hours, Ven. Ded. Troil. V, 1, 7 “cite each moving sense from i. rest,” Pilgr. 195. “no occupation, all men i.” Tp. II, 1, 154. Tp. II, 1, 154 Gent. II, 1, 172. II, 4, 64. Wiv. III, 2, 13. R2 III, 4, 66. H4A V, 3, 41. H5 IV, 2, 31. H6B II, 4, 47. H6C II, 1, 131. R3 III, 7, 76. Cor. I, 1, 102. I, 3, 76. Tit. III, 1, 172. Rom. I, 4, 97. Caes. I, 1, 1. II, 1, 117.
2) useless, unprofitable, vain, futile: “leave this i. theme, this bootless chat,” Ven. 422. Ven. 422 “who hath she to spend the night withal but i. sounds,” Ven. 422 “out, i. words, servants to shallow fools,” Lucr. 1016. “shall above that i. rank remain,” Sonn. 122, 3. “held in i. price to haunt assemblies,” Meas. I, 3, 9. “an i. plume which the air beats for vain,” II, 4, 11. “to draw with i. spiders' strings most ponderous and substantial things,” III, 2, 289. “it is dross, usurping ivy, brier, or i. moss,” Err. II, 2, 180. “these oaths and laws will prove an i. scorn,” LLL I, 1, 311. “critic Timon laugh at i. toys,” IV, 3, 170. “will hear your i. scorns,” V, 2, 875. “never did mockers waste more i. breath,” Mids. III, 2, 168. “as the remembrance of an i. gaud,” IV, 1, 172. “this weak and i. theme,” V, 434. “I will weary you then no longer with i. talking,” As V, 2, 57. “your store, I think, is not for i. markets,” Tw. III, 3, 46. “strain their cheeks to i. merriment,” John III, 3, 46. “repent at i. times,” H4B II, 2, 140. “every i., nice and wanton reason,” IV, 1, 191. “the i. pleasures of these days,” R3 I, 1, 31. “i. weeds are fast in growth,” III, 1, 103. “thou i. immaterial skein of sleave-silk,” Troil. V, 1, 38. “there is an i. banquet,” Tim. I, 2, 160 (== trifling, insignificant). “they pass by me as the i. wind,” Caes. IV, 3, 68. “all the i. weeds that grow in our sustaining corn,” Lr. IV, 4, 5. “the unnumbered i. pebbles,” IV, 6, 21. “mine's not an i. cause,” Oth. I, 2, 95. “antres vast and deserts i.” I, 3, 140 (F2. I, 3, 140 4 wild). “if i. talk will once be necessary,” Ant. V, 2, 50.
3) wanting becoming seriousness and gravity, thoughtless, silly, absurd, foolish: to find out shames “and i. hours in me,” Sonn. 61, 7. “make thee the father of their i. dreams,” Meas. IV, 1, 64. “shrive you of a thousand i. pranks,” Err. II, 2, 210. “heaven cease this i. humour in your honour,” Shr. Ind. 2, 14. “very i. words,” Shr. Ind. 2, 14. “virginity is peevish, proud, i., made of self-love,” Alls I, 1, 157. “an i. lord,” II, 5, 54. “in his i. fire, to buy his will, it would not seem too dear,” III, 7, 26. “a foolish i. boy,” IV, 3, 242. “you are i. shallow things,” Tw. III, 4, 136. “fancies too green and i. for girls of nine,” Wint. III, 2, 182. “full of i. dreams,” John IV, 2, 145. “i. dreamer,” John IV, 2, 145 the i. comments that it (his brain) “makes,” V, 7, 4. “and therefore is he i.?” R3 III, 1, 105. “if you love an addle egg as well as you love an i. head,” Troil. I, 2, 147. “I am no i. votarist,” Tim. IV, 3, 27. “looked upon this love with i. sight,” Hml. II, 2, 138 (wanting seriousness, taking it for a jest). “they are coming to the play; I must be i.” III, 2, 95. “you answer with an i. tongue,” III, 4, 11. “an i. and fond bondage,” Lr. I, 2, 51. “i. old man,” I, 3, 16. “reputation is an i. and most false imposition,” Oth. II, 3, 269.
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