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faff

British  
/ fæf /

verb

  1. informal to dither or fuss

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of faff

C19: of obscure origin

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Whether it's loyalty, laziness, or fear it'll be a faff that keeps us from switching, banks are competing to change our mind.

From BBC Aug. 16, 2026

Together for the better part of four decades, L7 did not faff around with small talk and pleasantries: They took the stage and rocked your face off.

From Salon Jul. 21, 2026

"I feel brilliant once I've done it and I love it and could chat all day about it but before it - we do faff a lot," she said.

From BBC Feb. 12, 2023

There’s not a lot of faff on it.

From Los Angeles Times Oct. 20, 2021

My dad says real fires are more faff than they're worth, but Dean's dad says in a Tavish McTavish voice, “Neeever buy ye a hoose wi'oot a chimberly pot.”

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell

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