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;

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

futz

At the beginning of “Lost Weekend’s” title track, Bridgers had to futz with her keyboard when it didn’t do what she wanted.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026

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

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

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