boondoggle

American  

[boon-dog-uhl, -daw-guhl] / ˈbunˌdɒg əl, -ˌdɔ gəl /

noun

1. a wasteful and worthless project undertaken for political, corporate, or personal gain, typically a government project funded by taxpayers.

   Is high-speed rail a valuable addition to infrastructure, or a boondoggle?

2. work of little or no value done merely to keep or look busy.

3. a product of simple manual skill, as a plaited leather cord for the neck or a knife sheath, made typically by a camper or a scout.

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verb (used with object)

boondoggled, boondoggling

1. to deceive or attempt to deceive.

   to boondoggle investors into a low-interest scheme.

verb (used without object)

boondoggled, boondoggling

1. to do work of little or no practical value merely to keep or look busy.

boondoggle British  

/ ˈbuːnˌdɒɡəl /

verb

1. (intr) to do futile and unnecessary work

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noun

1. a futile and unnecessary project or work

Usage

What does boondoggle mean? A boondoggle is a government project considered to have little purpose or value and to be a waste of taxpayer money. More generally, it can refer to any work done simply to look busy. These senses of the word are based on its original, literal meaning: a decorative but otherwise useless cord of braided leather or plastic (or another such handicraft) stereotypically made by Scouts. Boondoggle can also be used as a verb meaning to deceive. All senses of the word are primarily used in the U. S. and Canada. Example: Critics called the mayor’s proposal for a tech hub nothing more than a boondoggle to please his political donors.

Other Word Forms

• boondoggler noun

Etymology

Origin of boondoggle

An Americanism dating back to 1930–35; of unknown origin

Explanation

A boondoggle is a useless, trivial piece of work — it's a waste of time. If you're serious about your career, you should avoid boondoggles. Boondoggle is a silly sounding word for a silly project. Any endeavor that's a total waste of time or has no value could be called a boondoggle, especially if you're doing it just to look busy and important. The verb boondoggle means to do that useless work. If the mayor spends all his time promoting an eagle reserve in the middle of the Bronx instead of focusing on subway repairs, you could call that a boondoggle.

Example Sentences

Was it an exciting new form of entertainment, or a boondoggle?

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

He vehemently denied that the United States was entering into another long-term boondoggle in the Middle East.

From Salon • Mar. 2, 2026

As often happens too, we can pinpoint the exact moment and exact dynamics when a policy boondoggle was born.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 14, 2025

They’ve called the tunnel a boondoggle that would harm the Delta and its deteriorating ecosystem, and have argued the project would saddle ratepayers with high costs.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 21, 2024

Framed by million-dollar views and the multimillion dollar real estate of the Silversword Golf Course, the center seems like the ultimate scientific boondoggle.

From Free as in Freedom: Richard Stallman's Crusade for Free Software by Williams, Sam

Related Words

• betrayal
• deceit
• disinformation
• duplicity
• falsehood
• fraud
• hypocrisy
• lying
• mendacity
• treachery
• trickery
• untruth