idle

\ˈaɪ.dəl\

/\ˈaɪ.dəl\/ adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“idle” is an uncommon French word, ranked #56,024 in French word frequency and used as an adjective.

#56,024
frequency rank, French
4
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Oisif.

Key facts for idle
PropertyValue
Headwordidle
LanguageFrench
Part of speechAdjective
IPA\ˈaɪ.dəl\
Letters4
Frequency rank#56,024
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “idle” sits in French frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). idle lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The French entry for idle is 4 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ˈaɪ.dəl\. Corpus data places it at rank #56,024 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

idle doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a sign its spelling follows regular French conventions. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct French form is idle, spelled I-D-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Oisif.
  2. 2
    Fainéant.
  3. 3
    Vain.
  4. 4
    Vide, vacant.
  5. 5
    Ce dont on fait pas un usage approprié, inoccupé.
  6. 6
    Qui n’est engagé dans aucune occupation, aucun emploi, qui est oisif, inemployé, inactif, qui ne fait rien.
  7. 7
    Rétif au travail, à l'occupation ; fainéant ; paresseux ; indolent.
  8. 8
    Sans importance, inutile, sans valeur, vain, négligeable, ridicule.

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 French corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "idle"?
"idle" is spelled I-D-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is \ˈaɪ.dəl\.
What does "idle" mean?
As an adjective, "idle" means: Oisif.
How do you pronounce "idle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "idle" is \ˈaɪ.dəl\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "idle" come from?
"idle" is a French word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “idle”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct French spelling is I-D-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ˈaɪ.dəl\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list