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to faddle

to faddle

9.9
To waste time on small unimportant things
  • verb
translation icon : perder el tiempo
  • He spent hours faddling instead of working on the important project.

Examples

  • While Congress, including Democrats, sits around fiddling and faddling, unsure about what ought to be done, states are on the move, making it happen.

    Academic text (2002)
  • She often faddles with her phone, scrolling through social media when she should be studying.

  • Instead of finishing his homework, he was faddling around with meaningless tasks all evening.

Synonyms

to mess around
vsto faddle
  • Informal
111 4.1

To spend time doing playful or unplanned activities

is more about fussy small tasks rather than simple randomness
to lie around
vsto faddle
  • Informal
43 3.7

To spend time doing nothing useful

contrasts by involving more fussy, pointless activity rather than inactivity
to lounge around
vsto faddle
  • Informal
5 3.8

To relax and do very little

involves more active petty busywork rather than calm unproductivity
to twiddling thumbs
vsto faddle
  • Informal
4 5.8

To do nothing while you wait for something to happen

means more active small busying with trivial tasks rather than passive waiting
to mess about
vsto faddle
  • UK
3 5.9

To spend time somewhere doing nothing special

involves more active small busying with trivial matters
to bum around
vsto faddle
  • Informal
3 7.9

Spend time doing very little or nothing

means more active, small pointless fussing rather than passive laziness
to muck around
vsto faddle
  • UK
3 8.4

To spend time doing not important things in a relaxed way

suggests more busy, fussy attention to trivial tasks
to lollygag
vsto faddle
  • Informal
2 9.5

To waste time instead of doing the work you need

means more fiddling with trivial things rather than mere slow delay
to bum about
vsto faddle
  • UK
2 8.6

To spend time doing very little and moving around without plans

is more about busying with trivial tasks than simple idle idling
to futz
vsto faddle
  • Slang
1 9.6

To waste time doing small unimportant tasks

leans more toward constant petty fussing and needless fiddling
to futz around
vsto faddle
  • Informal
1 9.2

To spend time doing small unimportant things instead of working

involves more deliberate petty fussing rather than mere avoidance
to muck about
vsto faddle
  • UK
1 8.7

To spend time doing things that are not important

is more about constant petty fiddling rather than plain loafing
to piddle
vsto faddle
  • Informal
1 8.7

To waste time doing small unimportant things

leans more toward fussing over small unimportant matters
to lounge about
vsto faddle
  • UK
1 3.4

To spend time lazily doing little or nothing

is more about fussing with trivial matters than simple relaxing
to loll around
vsto faddle
  • Informal
1 4.4

To spend time doing very little and relaxing

is more about small, needless busy actions rather than quiet laziness
to faff
vsto faddle
  • UK
1 9.9

To spend time on small, unimportant tasks instead of getting things done

is about fussing actively over trivial, needless details
to potter around
vsto faddle
  • UK
1 6.5

To move around slowly doing small jobs in no hurry

is more focused on busying with small trivial tasks rather than leisure
to loaf about
vsto faddle
  • UK
1 6.5

To spend time doing nothing in a lazy way

contrasts by showing more active petty busywork rather than pure idleness
to wank around
vsto faddle
  • Offensive
1 9.9

To waste time instead of doing something useful

is more about petty, unnecessary busywork rather than deliberate avoidance
to footle away
vsto faddle
  • UK
9.6

To waste time doing small, unimportant things

is more about anxious or busy fussing over trivialities
to piddling around
vsto faddle
  • Informal
8.6

To spend time doing small unimportant things with no real plan

is more about busy, fussy attention to tiny matters
to piddle away
vsto faddle
  • Informal
8.6

Spend time or money on unimportant things

focuses more on active, petty fussing than general inefficiency
to trifle
vsto faddle
7.1

To spend time idly on unimportant things

is more active, showing fiddly attention to trivial details
to tiddle
vsto faddle
  • UK
9.9

To touch or move something lightly with your hands

is closer to fiddly, pointless attention rather than light play
to frig around
vsto faddle
  • Slang
9.9

To waste time instead of doing something useful

focuses instead on fussing over small, unimportant tasks rather than laziness

Antonyms

77 4.1

Deal with the most important tasks first

Compounds

fiddle-faddle
  • Archaic
1 9.9

Silly, unimportant talk that wastes time

How Productive

to labor
  • US
26 2.7
to faddle
9.9
to dawdle
17 5.0
to idle
1 3.2

Surface Forms

faddle infinitive
faddled past
faddled past participle
faddling present participle
faddles third person singular

Etymology

Faddle can be pictured like fiddle: to play or move with small things instead of doing the main task, so to faddle is 'to waste time' or 'to fuss' about unimportant matters.