fiddled around
Killed time aimlessly
Fiddled around means to spend time aimlessly or without serious purpose, often implying inefficiency or distraction: We fiddled around all morning and got nothing done.
It can also mean to tinker or experiment casually: He fiddled around with the settings until it worked.
The phrase suggests unstructured activity rather than focused effort.
- dawdledMoved slowly, idly
- loiteredWaited idly somewhere
- tweakedAltered in minor ways
- potteredDid small unhurried tasks
- puttered aboutBusied oneself inefficiently
killed time · wasted time · tampered · jiggled · delayed · toyed · lingered · postponed · idled · goofed off · experimented · fine-tuned · adjusted · hesitated · noodled · modified · stalled · dilly-dallied
fiddled aroundfocused
Directing attention narrowly
got down to business · buckled down · applied oneself · concentrated · knuckled down
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