busywork
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of busywork
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.
After all, what Melania Trump really needs is busywork.
From Salon • Feb. 1, 2026
The seed of a breakthrough might sprout if employees warm up their brains with some busywork, like clearing inboxes or organizing calendars.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 8, 2026
On an individual level, Yee says, people may opt in to occasional busywork to give their brains a break or simply work a little less instead of squeezing every drop of AI-enhanced productivity.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 26, 2025
The specifics of the mission are as mysterious as these men’s names as we watch them carry out the minutiae of military busywork.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 19, 2025
Every task we were assigned was just glorified busywork to keep our hands moving, our bodies occupied, and our minds dead with boredom.
From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
