to arse around
1
9.9
- phrasal verb
- /ɑːs əˈraʊnd/
- Offensive
- Stop arsing around and help me with this assignment.
Examples
-
Stop arsing around and get to work!
-
If you arse around all day, you'll never finish your work.
-
They were arsing around in the hallway after class and nearly got caught.
-
He always arses around instead of studying.
-
He spent the whole afternoon arseing around instead of studying for his exams.
-
Instead of working on the project, they were just arseing around in the office.
-
Stop arseing around and get to work on your assignment.
Synonyms
371
1.1
To spend time sitting and doing very little without a clear purpose
197
1.8
To behave in a silly, playful way and waste time
148
3.6
Act in a silly, playful way instead of working
104
9.9
To waste time or act carelessly
17
3.7
To spend time doing nothing useful
12
6.3
To play loudly and roughly in a silly way, often when it is not appropriate
8
6.2
To spend time doing little or nothing instead of working
8
7.9
To waste time by delaying when you should act
7
7.0
To spend time doing small, not important jobs in a relaxed way
7
7.3
Waste time by acting silly instead of working
6
9.5
To waste time instead of doing the work you need
6
8.4
To spend time doing not important things in a relaxed way
5
6.5
To spend time doing small, not important tasks slowly without a clear plan
5
7.7
To spend time doing nothing and not working
5
7.0
To sit or lie in a lazy, relaxed way
4
7.9
Spend time doing very little or nothing
3
7.9
To waste time and effort without making progress
3
7.2
To waste time by doing small unimportant things
2
9.2
To spend time doing small unimportant things instead of working
2
8.7
To waste time doing small unimportant things
2
9.9
To waste time doing unimportant or silly things instead of doing something important
1
4.4
To spend time doing very little and relaxing
1
9.9
To waste time by behaving in a silly or unproductive way instead of working
1
7.7
To spend time doing nothing useful
1
3.4
To spend time lazily doing little or nothing
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
8.6
To spend time doing small unimportant things with no real plan
1
3.3
To spend time on things that are not useful
1
8.4
To travel slowly without a clear plan
1
9.9
To waste time instead of doing something useful
1
8.6
To spend time doing very little and moving around without plans
1
8.6
Spend time or money on unimportant things
1
9.9
To sit and do nothing instead of working
1
7.7
To waste time on busy work and make no progress
1
9.9
To waste time instead of doing something useful
To waste time instead of doing something useful
To waste time doing small, unimportant things
To act in a silly, playful way instead of being serious
To behave lazily and avoid work or responsibility
To spend time doing very little and not do the work you should
Act in a silly, aimless way and waste time
To waste time instead of working
How Idle
27
6.5
- UK
7
5.9
- Offensive
1
9.9
17
5.0
- UK
1
6.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
arse + around
The particle 'around' clearly signals aimless or unproductive movement, which gives a clue to the overall meaning, but the noun 'arse' (literal 'butt') does not transparently contribute the sense 'waste time' — its use as a pejorative verb ('to act stupidly/mess about') is colloquial and unpredictable. Because part of the meaning comes from a productive pattern (X + around = mess about) but the specific contribution of 'arse' requires idiomatic knowledge, this is partially inferable but not fully predictable to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Arse around comes from a rude image of someone moving their arse around with no clear purpose, just playing or loafing instead of working. That's why it means 'to waste time' or 'behave in a silly, lazy, or aimless way'.