Active
Active adjective - Being in effective operation.
Usage example: the abandoned factory had not been active for years
Idle
Idle adjective - Not being in a state of use, activity, or employment.
Usage example: the car was idle for two weeks while they went on vacation
Both words in one sentence
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Some playable characters go into their idle animation gags when not active, if the active character isn't doing much, either.
Source: Video Game / LEGO Dimensions - Idle Games usually have a concept of buying upgrades that enhance your ability to gain points (whether active, idle, or both), yielding exponential gains that Pinball Scoring can't begin to describe.
Source: Idle Game - Jilva at first is an idle royalty, but she becomes a member of active royalty through the game.
Source: Video Game / Popolocrois
Cite this Source
Idle and Active. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 15, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/active/idle
Active & Idle. N.p., 2016. Web. 15 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/active/idle>.
Idle or Active. 2016. Accessed August 15, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/active/idle.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "active" and "idle" have occurred on timeline