engage vs idle

engage

verb
  • To engross or hold the attention of; to keep busy or occupied. 

  • To enter into conflict with (an enemy). 

  • To come into gear with. 

  • To enter into (an activity), to participate (construed with in). 

  • To draw into conversation. 

  • To mesh or interlock (of machinery, especially a clutch). 

  • To attract, to please; (archaic) to fascinate or win over (someone). 

  • To guarantee or promise (to do something). 

  • To arrange to employ or use (a worker, a space, etc.). 

  • To bind through legal or moral obligation (to do something, especially to marry) (usually in passive). 

  • To enter into battle. 

idle

verb
  • To spend in idleness; to waste; to consume. 

  • Of an engine: to run at a slow speed, or out of gear; to tick over. 

  • To lose or spend time doing nothing, or without being employed in business. 

noun
  • An idle game. 

  • The lowest selectable thrust or power setting of an engine. 

  • The state of idling, of being idle. 

  • An idle animation. 

adj
  • Not engaged in any occupation or employment; unemployed; inactive; doing nothing in particular. 

  • Not being used appropriately; not occupied; (of time) with no, no important, or not much activity. 

  • Averse to work, labor or employment; lazy; slothful. 

  • Of no importance; useless; worthless; vain; trifling; thoughtless; silly. 

How often have the words engage and idle occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )