ESEN
Which one to use?Intermediateadjective / verbnoun
IdlevsIdol
'Idle' means not working, lazy, or without purpose; 'idol' is a person or thing that is greatly admired or worshipped.
Side-by-side comparison
Idle
adjective / verb"Idle" means inactive, doing nothing, or without justification. "Idle time" = time with no activity. Also the verb to let an engine run without load.
The machines sat idle for three days during the power outage.
Pay no attention to idle gossip, focus on what actually matters.
An idle mind is the devil's workshop, keep your team engaged.
Idol
noun"Idol" is the object of worship or a person who is greatly admired, especially a pop star or athlete. "Pop idol" = a very popular music star.
She was his idol growing up, he had her posters all over his room.
The pop idol sold out three consecutive nights at the stadium.
American Idol launched the careers of many successful musicians.
Common mistake
- •"My favourite idle is Taylor Swift" when meaning admired person is wrong: the greatly admired person or image is "idol".
- •"Idle" means inactive, lazy, or without purpose.
Trick to remember it
- •"Idle" ends in LE like "simple", "little", "feeble": little activity.
- •"Idol" ends in OL like "goal", "soul", "control": things with power or aspiration.
Quick rule
- •Is it inactive, lazy, or without purpose? "Idle".
- •Is it the greatly admired or worshipped person or image? "Idol".
Did you know?
"American Idol" deliberately played on the cultural resonance of "idol" as the most worshipped musical star in America. The root of "idol" is Greek "eidolon" (image, phantom, vision), the same root as "ideal" and "idealism." Originally an idol was a physical image used in religious worship; its modern meaning (admired celebrity) is a metaphorical extension. "Idle" comes from Old English "idel" (empty, worthless), a completely different etymology from a completely different language family. "Idle hands are the devil's workshop" is a proverb warning against inactivity as a cause of trouble, combining the word with a moral lesson that has existed since at least the 12th century.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
He spent the whole afternoon _____ on the sofa, doing absolutely nothing.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
The singer became a teenage _____ overnight. Every young person wanted to be like her.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
AcceptvsExcept
One means to receive or agree to something, the other means to exclude or not include.
AdvicevsAdvise
'Advice' is the guidance you receive (noun); 'advise' is the act of giving that guidance (verb).
AffectvsEffect
'Affect' is the verb meaning to influence something; 'effect' is the noun meaning result or consequence.
AislevsIsle
'Aisle' is the walkway between rows of seats or shelves; 'isle' is a small island.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy