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fiddly

American  
[fid-uh-lee, fid-lee] / ˈfɪd ə li, ˈfɪd li /

adjective

  • fiddlier,
    comparative
  • fiddliest
    superlative
  1. difficult due to small, complex, or delicate elements; requiring fine motor control and concentration.


fiddly British  
/ ˈfɪdlɪ /

adjective

  1. small and awkward to do or handle

"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

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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.

See Examples For:

But the display is tiny, the neural-band bracelet control is too fiddly and the glasses themselves make me look like a kid playing dress-up with her dad’s ’70s eyewear.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 12, 2025

It will only operate with an eSIM - which allows users to switch networks or plans without resorting to a fiddly fork to open a tiny SIM card tray.

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2025

If all this sounds a little fiddly, well, just understand that it’s tough to mimic Mother Nature.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2024

“I’m more nervous about a random person messing with the inevitable stack of phones, laptops and tablets with fiddly chargers leaving them not charging,” Mr. Stricker said.

From New York Times ● Mar. 24, 2023

“This next one will impress them. When I call, start pumping the bellows, and whatever happens do not slow down, or speed up, or stop. There’s fiddly work involved.”

From "Norse Mythology" by Neil Gaiman

At the robot-powered US pizza-delivery company Zume, the fiddlier jobs, such as topping pizzas, are still done by humans.

From The Guardian ● Mar. 7, 2019

In response India is experimenting with fiddlier ways of deleveraging.

From Economist ● Jun. 5, 2014

The video promised a large amount of Wii U-specific content, and controls which placed some of the more peripheral, and fiddlier, aspects of Arkham City on the Wii U Gamepad's touch-screen.

From The Guardian ● Jun. 5, 2012

“It’s the fiddliest Open that I’ve played,” said McIlroy, who has played 12 previously.

From Washington Post ● Jul. 14, 2022

“It’s the fiddliest Open that I’ve played. It’s the only way I can really describe it,” McIlroy said.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 14, 2022

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