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Offhand vs Idle - What's the difference?

offhand | idle | Related terms |

Offhand is a related term of idle.


As adjectives the difference between offhand and idle

is that offhand is without planning or thinking ahead while idle is (lb) empty, vacant.

As an adverb offhand

is right away, immediately, without thinking about it.

As a verb idle is

to spend in idleness; to waste; to consume.

offhand

English

Alternative forms

* off-hand

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • without planning or thinking ahead
    • She gave an offhand speech.
  • careless; without sufficient thought or consideration
    • He doesn't realise how hurtful his offhand remarks can be.
  • curt, abrupt, unfriendly
    • She was quite offhand with me yesterday.

    Synonyms

    * (without planning) impromptu, extemporaneous, off-the-cuff; see also

    See also

    * off the top of one's head

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • right away, immediately, without thinking about it
  • * Offhand , I'd guess that that's a yellow-bellied sapsucker.
  • * 1854:' William Makepeace Thackeray, ''The Rose and the Ring'' - We will have no more of this shilly-shallying! Call the Archbishop, and let the Prince and Princess be married ' offhand !
  • in an offhand manner

    • Anagrams

    *

    idle

    English

    (wikipedia idle)

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (lb) Empty, vacant.
  • Not turned to appropriate use; not occupied.
  • :
  • Not engaged in any occupation or employment; unemployed; inactive; doing nothing.
  • :
  • *
  • *:Molly the dairymaid came a little way from the rickyard, and said she would pluck the pigeon that very night after work. She was always ready to do anything for us boys; and we could never quite make out why they scolded her so for an idle hussy indoors. It seemed so unjust. Looking back, I recollect she had very beautiful brown eyes.
  • Averse to work, labor or employment; lazy; slothful.
  • :
  • *
  • *:“I don't mean all of your friends—only a small proportion—which, however, connects your circle with that deadly, idle , brainless bunch—the insolent chatterers at the opera, the gorged dowagers, the worn-out, passionless men, the enervated matrons of the summer capital,!”
  • Of no importance; useless; worthless; vain; trifling; thoughtless; silly.
  • :
  • (lb) Light-headed; foolish.
  • :(Ford)

    • Derived terms

    * idle hands are the devil's workshop * idle pulley * idle wheel

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Verb

    (idl)
  • To spend in idleness; to waste; to consume.
  • To lose or spend time doing nothing, or without being employed in business.
    • to idle in an IRC channel
  • * 1939 , Joan Evans, Chateaubriand (page 32)
    • He had already heard of the young man's projected journey — evidently the Comte de Combourg had written many letters while his son idled at St. Malo
  • Of an engine: to run at a slow speed, or out of gear; to tick over.

    • Related terms

    * idler

    References

    * *

    Anagrams

    * * *