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faff

British

/ fæf /

verb

informal to dither or fuss

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of faff

C19: of obscure origin

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.

He said it would aim to make people's lives easier by "cutting the faff" involved in providing multiple examples of identification for tasks such as applying to university, buying a house or renting.

From BBC • Oct. 23, 2025

I know I have friends with iPhones who have dismissed the "faff" of changing to another brand, even if they like the look of something different.

From BBC • Mar. 21, 2024

There’s not a lot of faff on it.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 20, 2021

If you think that falafel without the faff is not falafel, you could try Nigel Slater’s chickpea cakes with spinach and lemongrass, which are in the same spirit and more approachable.

From The Guardian • May 13, 2020

My dad says real fires are more faff than they're worth, but Dean's dad says in a Tavish McTavish voice, “Neeever buy ye a hoose wi'oot a chimberly pot.”

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023