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
Joe Fenti, a 29-year-old Boston resident, quit his corporate consulting job last year after feeling like his life was being whittled away by busywork with no concrete end.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026
Workdays without busywork are closer to reality than ever, thanks to artificial intelligence.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 8, 2026
But when you’re occupied by that idle busywork, it’s easy enough to convince yourself it matters.
From Slate • Aug. 13, 2025
Principal Marshall looked up from all his busywork.
From "Ghost" by Jason Reynolds
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.
