to futz around
1
9.2
- phrasal verb
- /fʌts əˈraʊnd/
- Informal
:
perder el tiempo
- Instead of studying, I spent the whole afternoon futzing around at home.
- stop futzing around
Because suddenly it seems that we have new tools to futz around and hack life itself.
- Because suddenly it seems that we have new tools to futz around and hack life itself.
- I'm not futzing around watching Netflix all day.
Examples
-
I point out that futzing around in a flooded laundry room is not a good idea.
Blog text (12) -
I remember when I first figured this out, I was standing in a forest in a little clearing with pine needles, noticing that in my years of futzing around in the forest, this was the first time I hadn't felt a residual desire to take a broom and tidy up.
Fiction book (2001) -
I'll just... I'll futz around with it until then.
-
I'm not futzing around watching Netflix all day.
-
Mindy is in the background, futzing around in the kitchen area.
Fiction book (2002) -
They're just old guys futzing around.
Fiction book (2001) -
Listen, Jazz, don't futz around.
Fiction book (1990) -
There was a lot of futzing around with the PCs and apps when they first came on the scene before they became productive with them.
Blog text (32) -
If you weren't futzing around with that camera all the time, you might write down some of your old man's wisdom.
-
Why does someone like this have to spend years futzing around with lawyers, et al., to prove he's due the military's consideration?!
Blog text (11)
Synonyms
350
1.1
To spend time sitting and doing very little without a clear purpose
111
4.1
To spend time doing playful or unplanned activities
75
9.9
To waste time or act carelessly
46
3.6
Act in a silly, playful way instead of working
43
3.7
To spend time doing nothing useful
7
4.3
To spend time relaxing and doing very little
6
7.2
To waste time by doing small unimportant things
5
6.5
To spend time doing small, not important tasks slowly without a clear plan
5
3.8
To relax and do very little
4
7.3
Waste time by acting silly instead of working
3
5.9
To spend time somewhere doing nothing special
3
7.9
Spend time doing very little or nothing
3
8.4
To spend time doing not important things in a relaxed way
2
7.7
To spend time doing nothing useful
2
8.6
To spend time doing very little and moving around without plans
2
9.5
To waste time instead of doing the work you need
1
8.7
To waste time doing small unimportant things
1
8.7
To spend time doing things that are not important
1
3.4
To spend time lazily doing little or nothing
1
7.7
To spend time doing nothing and not working
1
4.4
To spend time doing very little and relaxing
1
9.9
To spend time on small, unimportant tasks instead of getting things done
1
9.9
To waste time doing silly or lazy things instead of useful work
1
6.5
To move around slowly doing small jobs in no hurry
1
6.5
To spend time doing nothing in a lazy way
1
9.9
To waste time doing unimportant or silly things instead of doing something important
1
9.9
To waste time instead of doing something useful
1
9.9
To waste time instead of doing something useful
To spend time doing small unimportant things with no real plan
Spend time or money on unimportant things
To waste time doing small, unimportant things
To spend time idly on unimportant things
To waste time on small unimportant things
To waste time instead of doing something useful
To spend time on things that are not useful
Act in a silly, aimless way and waste time
To act in a silly, playful way instead of being serious
To travel slowly without a clear plan
How Productive
Surface Forms
Morphology
The sense 'to waste time or behave aimlessly' is directly composed from 'futz' (to waste time tinkering) plus the particle 'around' (aimlessly/moving about), so the overall meaning is predictable from the constituents. This follows a regular English verb + particle pattern and would be understood by a B1 learner who already knows both words, though the verb is colloquial in register.
Etymology
Futz around may come from the image of someone futzing with small parts and moving around without finishing the work. That's why it means 'to waste time' or 'act idly'.