futz

American  

[fuhts] / fʌts /

verb (used without object)

1. to pass time in idleness (usually followed by around ).

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noun

1. a fool; simpleton.

verb phrase

1. futz (around) with to handle or deal with, especially idly, reluctantly, or as a time-consuming task.

   I spent all day futzing with those file folders.

Etymology

Origin of futz

First recorded in 1905–10; apparently a euphemism for fuck;

Example Sentences

If you didn’t want to futz with the word blockchain but did want Bitcoin exposure, you could buy MicroStrategy stock.

From Slate • Feb. 3, 2026

More important: AI gives you easier access to settings, so you don’t have to futz with menus.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 11, 2026

You can futz with the bread, you can gild the cheese, but if the core is bland or watery or vaguely funereal, the whole enterprise collapses.

From Salon • Dec. 4, 2025

Yes, we hate it, yes we love it, and yes, as is our habit, we let time mosey on by as we futz around over what to do.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2024

But as any horror fan can tell you, a comeuppance awaits in horror movies from “Frankenstein” to “Frankenhooker” when god-wannabes futz with what it means to be human by creating life that becomes monstrous.

From New York Times • Jan. 19, 2023