fiddling
Americanadjective
adjective
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trifling or insignificant; petty
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another word for fiddly
Etymology
Origin of fiddling
late Middle English word dating back to 1425–75; fiddle, -ing 2
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.
I’m sitting in my usual place, fiddling with the loose string on the armrest, a throw cushion decorated with orange, blue, and yellow beads stitched in a pattern of repeated circles in my lap.
From Literature
I expected to see someone like Mr. Quon manning the counter, but a young woman was perched on a tall stool behind it, idly fiddling with an abacus.
From Literature
The commanding officer dismissed us and I lingered outside of his door longer than I needed to, straightening and fiddling with my uniform.
From Literature
Mrs. Tracywas still fiddling with something, and I scanned the room.
From Literature
She pauses for a long time, then she lets go of his hands and looks down at her lap, fiddling with the edge of her cardigan.
From Literature
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.
