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

When I kneel down to futz with something — the Wi-Fi, the dryer — White Fang will rest her chin on the back of my ankle.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2020

“We would get into it and Tom would hear me, and we would futz with it and figure it out,” she said.

From New York Times • Oct. 25, 2019