busywork

[ biz-ee-wurk ]

noun

1. work assigned for the sake of looking or keeping busy.

Word History and Origins

Origin of busywork¹

First recorded in 1840–50; busy + work

Example Sentences

They’re printers, fax machines, and scanners that create an all-in-one digital hub for office busywork.

From Popular-Science

Upon her return, she was met with busywork from school, but nothing palpable outside an occasional Zoom call or Google meet-up.

From Vox

She said that being explicit about mental health was policy busywork and a paperwork nightmare.

From Washington Post

This may seem like a good idea in theory, but in practice they amount to glorified extra-credit projects and pointless busywork.

From The Daily Beast

Sadly, its most notable achievement is to add layers of red tape and busywork to our already bureaucracy-heavy prison system.

From The Daily Beast

But repeated tests create a uniform sort of busywork, which can turn quickly into malaise.

From The Daily Beast