- present participle of fiddle.
fiddling
Americanadjective
adjective
-
trifling or insignificant; petty
-
another word for fiddly
Etymology
Origin of fiddling
late Middle English word dating back to 1425–75; see origin at fiddle, -ing 2
Vocabulary lists containing fiddling
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.
Neville is skeptical that businesses will be fiddling around with AI products to create their own cybersecurity.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 27, 2026
She pauses, fiddling with her red-framed reading glasses.
From BBC • Feb. 14, 2026
The ongoing injuries have left Musselman to continue fiddling with his lineup in search of answers.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 14, 2026
Ninety-nine times out of 100, that means letting shareholders decide with a minimum of bureaucratic fiddling.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 16, 2025
Sandi, who had lost interest in pleading for a reasonable menu and had been fiddling with the ribbon in her hair, looked up.
From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez
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.
