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Glite Dictionary
🧸 A trivial thing 🤪 A frivolous person ⏳ To waste time
to fribble

to fribble

9.9
To waste time by doing silly, unimportant things
  • verb
  • /ˈfrɪbəl/
  • Archaic
translation icon : perder el tiempo
  • He often fribbles instead of studying, which affects his grades.

Examples

  • You fribble!

    1776 (1972)

  • She tends to fribble during meetings instead of focusing on important issues.

  • "This fribbling person weeps," declared the princess with feeling.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • Lyman had already made his fortune through land speculation and railroads, the same fortune Ariel, Elisha's father, would fribble away, and that Elisha, when he was barely out of college, a young magus of the new day, would replenish.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • Don't fribble away your time with trivial matters when there is work to be done.

Synonyms

to be silly
vsto fribble
88 2.1

Act in a foolish or playful way without taking things seriously

adds a clearer emphasis on wasting time on unimportant activities
to fool around
vsto fribble
  • Informal
46 3.6

Act in a silly, playful way instead of working

is similar but puts stronger weight on wasting time on small matters
to fritter away
vsto fribble
4 6.0

Waste time or money on small unimportant things

is more about playful behaviour that wastes time rather than resource loss
to fritter
vsto fribble
4 6.8

To waste small amounts of time, money, or energy little by little

centres on playful or frivolous behaviour that specifically wastes time and attention
to messing
vsto fribble
  • Informal
3 3.5

To act in a careless, playful way instead of doing something important

leans more toward trivial time wasting rather than general carelessness
to play silly buggers
vsto fribble
  • Offensive
1 9.9

Act in a foolish, annoying way instead of being serious

focuses more on wasting time on unimportant things rather than causing annoyance
to footle
vsto fribble
  • UK
9.9

Talk or act in a silly way and waste time

focuses more on wasting time on unimportant activities rather than only talking
to zarking around
vsto fribble
  • Slang
9.9

To act in a silly, playful way instead of being serious

stresses frivolous time wasting as the main feature rather than just play
to piffle
vsto fribble
  • Informal
9.9

To talk or act in a silly, unimportant way

is more about silly conduct that wastes time rather than only trivial talk

How Silly

to waste time
728 1.6
goofing off
  • Informal
13 7.7
to fribble
  • Archaic
9.9
to mess about
  • UK
3 5.9
to dally
4 7.7

Surface Forms

fribble infinitive
fribbled past
fribbled past participle
fribbling present participle
fribbles third person singular

Etymology

Fribble as a verb is like fritter or trifle — to 'waste' time on small, unimportant things. So, to fribble is to act silly and waste time when you should be doing something important.