at loose ends

Idioms  

1. In an unsettled or uncertain situation. For example, This whole visit has left me feeling restless, constantly at loose ends, or Jane couldn't find a job this year and so is at loose ends for the summer. [Mid-1800s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

at loose ends

And Mr. Neville gives us a sense—not only through the audio but also in the fragmented imagery and abbreviated sequencing—of a superstar at loose ends.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 24, 2026

When at loose ends, I like nothing better than to spend an hour or two wandering around a used-book shop, picking up titles that seem promising, then skimming a few pages.

From Washington Post ● Nov. 18, 2022

You can lurk in an uncomfortable limbo state, feeling at loose ends.

From Salon ● Dec. 5, 2021

Pandemic sentencings end abruptly, and she felt at loose ends, without the normal sense of release that comes at the end of a long effort.

From New York Times ● Nov. 28, 2021

She whisks me into the back office: she doesn’t want me dangling around in the empty gallery, at loose ends while the first revelers trickle in, she doesn’t want me looking unsuccessful and too eager.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood