fiddling
Restless hand movements
Fiddling describes something trivially small or unimportant: fiddling amounts of money, fiddling details that don't matter.
The word carries dismissiveness—what's fiddling isn't worth serious attention.
As a present participle, fiddling means playing a fiddle or, more commonly, making small aimless movements: Stop fiddling with your phone.
Slight adjustment process
- fine-tuningSmall precise optimization adjustments
- calibrationAdjusting for measurement accuracy
- tuningAdjusting pitch accuracy
- tinkeringCasual, unskilled adjusting
adjustment · fussing · trimming · configuring · balancing · alignment · regulation · optimization
Leisurely time-wasting
- dallyingIdling without purpose
- putteringUnhurried aimless activity
- potteringAimless light activity
- piddlingInsignificantly small
procrastinating · loafing · idling · meandering · frittering · whiling · messing · mucking
Of no real importance
- piddlingInsignificantly small
- pettyOf little importance
- minorScale with lowered third
- insignificantLacking importance or consequence
small · negligible · inconsequential · picayune · footling · niggling · unimportant · paltry
Respectful forward inclination
- stringsThin flexible lines
- rosinSolidified conifer sap
- fingerboardString instrument's pitch surface
- vibratoOscillating pitch effect
pizzicato · folk · bluegrass · jig · reel · hoedown · gigue · concerto
Restless minor movements
- twitchingInvoluntary muscular contractions
- twiddlingTurning idly, aimlessly
- squirmingTwisting restlessly from discomfort
- restlessnessState of unease
nervous · impatient · distracted · absent-minded · bored · idle · aimless · unfocused
Ropes controlling ship sails
- doctoringAltering deceptively
- falsifyingMaking intentionally untrue
- forgingShaping heated metal; faking documents
- manipulatingInfluencing through cunning
altering · cooking · fixing · jiggering · fudging · finagling · meddling · interfering
tweaking
Slight adjustment process
- fine-tuningSmall precise optimization adjustments
- calibrationAdjusting for measurement accuracy
- tuningAdjusting pitch accuracy
tinkering · adjustment · fussing · trimming · configuring · balancing · alignment · regulation · optimization · refinement
dawdling
Leisurely time-wasting
piddling · procrastinating · loafing · idling · meandering · frittering · whiling · messing · mucking · futzing
trifling
Of no real importance
insignificant · small · negligible · inconsequential · picayune · footling · niggling · unimportant · paltry · frivolous
bow
Respectful forward inclination
- stringsThin flexible lines
- rosinSolidified conifer sap
- fingerboardString instrument's pitch surface
vibrato · pizzicato · folk · bluegrass · jig · reel · hoedown · gigue · concerto · sonata
fidgeting
Restless minor movements
- twitchingInvoluntary muscular contractions
- twiddlingTurning idly, aimlessly
- squirmingTwisting restlessly from discomfort
restlessness · nervous · impatient · distracted · absent-minded · bored · idle · aimless · unfocused · antsy
rigging
Ropes controlling ship sails
- doctoringAltering deceptively
- falsifyingMaking intentionally untrue
- forgingShaping heated metal; faking documents
manipulating · altering · cooking · fixing · jiggering · fudging · finagling · meddling · interfering · sabotaging
- country festivitiescounty fair, state fair, country fair, harvest festival, fall festival
- fidgetingfidgeting, fidget, tapping, finger tapping, twiddle
- tinkeringputtering, pottering, tweaking, dabbling, fussing
- idle actionsfidgeting, waiting, twiddling thumbs, daydreaming, lounging
- QuebecQuebec City, Montreal, premier, National Assembly, premiers
- European Folkloremaypole, Morris dancing, folk dancing, folk costume, folk costumes
fiddlingsignificant
Having notable importance
important · major · consequential · substantial · momentous
fiddlingfocused
Directing attention narrowly
concentrated · purposeful · deliberate · attentive · diligent
fiddlingsubstantial
Of notable size or importance
big · large · considerable · sizable · massive
- fiddling aroundIdle, unfocused activity
- fiddling withIdly manipulating something
- fiddling awayWasting time unproductively
- fiddling aboutIdle unproductive activity
- fiddling while Rome burnsNeglecting crisis for trivialities
fiddle, fiddles, fiddled, fiddler, fiddlers, fiddly, fiddlesticks, fiddlestick, fiddle with