busywork

[ biz-ee-wurk ]

/ ˈbɪz iˌwɜrk /

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noun

work assigned for the sake of looking or keeping busy.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of busywork

First recorded in 1840–50; busy + work

Words nearby busywork

busy bee, busybody, busy Lizzie, busyness, busy signal, busywork, but, butabarbital sodium, butadiene, but and ben, butane

How to use busywork in a sentence

They’re printers, fax machines, and scanners that create an all-in-one digital hub for office busywork.
The best copy machine for home and office|Irena Collaku|August 25, 2021|Popular-Science
Upon her return, she was met with busywork from school, but nothing palpable outside an occasional Zoom call or Google meet-up.
Prom, after a senior year interrupted|Melinda Fakuade|July 23, 2021|Vox
She said that being explicit about mental health was policy busywork and a paperwork nightmare.
Taking a mental health day is legit. Just ask the kids.|Petula Dvorak|June 3, 2021|Washington Post
This may seem like a good idea in theory, but in practice they amount to glorified extra-credit projects and pointless busywork.
Rand Paul and the Certification Racket|Russell Saunders|August 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Sadly, its most notable achievement is to add layers of red tape and busywork to our already bureaucracy-heavy prison system.
America’s Prison System: Not Faring Well Either|James Poulos|April 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But repeated tests create a uniform sort of busywork, which can turn quickly into malaise.
How Space Agencies Are Preparing for a Mission to Mars|Josh Dzieza|February 12, 2011|DAILY BEAST

Other Idioms and Phrases with busywork

busy work

Activity meant to take up time but not actually be productive. For example, We have to put in an eight-hour day, even if we do nothing but busy work. [c. 1840]