to potter
1
6.5
- verb
- /ˈpɑːtər/
- UK
:
trastear
- I wore the Snowdrop around while I was working and pottering around the house, and it was pretty much perfect.
- just potter
Examples
-
When the weather was too inclement to garden, you could always potter about in the conservatory, and what better place to sit down after lunch and try to do The Times crossword?
Fiction book (1990) -
The words that came to mind as we all pottered along in the fog together a few days ago were those of the incandescently gifted Mary Oliver.
Blog text (3) -
His father got up; he heard him pottering about.
Blog text (22) -
I just potter along.
-
"We've got to do something about Mum," she said as she, Miles, and I pottered around your kitchen...
Fiction book (1997) -
Please keep pottering along as you do; it is such a comfort to us out here in the blogosphere.
Blog text (3) -
He spent the whole day pottering around on the sunbaked roof, with an expression of faint surprise, wearing a waistcoat, with a tape measure around his neck.
Fiction book (1997) -
Frank was nearing his seventy-seventh birthday now, very deaf, his bad leg stiffer than ever, but he could be seen pottering around the flower beds in fine weather, even though the weeds were starting to creep up on him, try as he might to suppress them.
Fiction book (2000) -
She tried to go back to sleep, but fell only into a drowsy half-sleep, vaguely aware of Hana moving about, cleaning things, pottering in Mel's closet.
Fiction book (2001) -
On Sundays, I love to potter around the garden, pulling weeds and planting flowers.
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
47
4.5
To try small changes to fix or improve something
11
7.0
To spend time doing small, not important jobs in a relaxed way
5
6.5
To spend time doing small, not important tasks slowly without a clear plan
4
7.3
Waste time by acting silly instead of working
3
8.4
To spend time doing not important things in a relaxed way
1
8.7
To spend time doing things that are not important
1
6.5
To move around slowly doing small jobs in no hurry
Antonyms
Phrasal Verbs
Compounds
How Aimless
Surface Forms
Etymology
A helpful way to remember the verb potter is to imagine a pot maker moving slowly around a workshop, doing small, simple jobs. That's why to potter means to move or work in a relaxed, unhurried way.