putzed
Fiddled around aimlessly
Putzed is the past tense of putz, meaning to waste time on trivial activities or tinker aimlessly: I putzed around the garage all afternoon.
The verb comes from Yiddish, where putz is vulgar slang for penis, though the verb has lost most of that edge in American English.
To putz is to accomplish little while staying vaguely busy.
Toyed idly with
- putteredDid minor tasks leisurely
- tinkeredAdjusted without expertise
- fussedWorried over trifles
- messed aroundActed without purpose
fooled around · monkeyed · dabbled · noodled · tweaked · finagled · jimmied · futzed
Wasted time through indecision
- lollygaggedSpent time aimlessly
- loiteredWaited idly somewhere
- lingeredRemained beyond expected
- procrastinatedPostponed action unnecessarily
tarried · shilly-shallied · piddled · frittered · trifled · dallied · puttered · moseyed
Moved without fixed course
- driftedMoved without aim
- meanderedTraveled without direct course
- roamedTraveled without fixed course
- rambledSpoke aimlessly, at length
moseyed · ambled · sauntered · bumbled · floated · strayed · pottered about · knocked about
Was deliberately unproductive
- lazedSpent time idly
- loungedRested in relaxed posture
- idledOperated without load
- vegetatedGrew plants; lounged passively
slacked · bummed · goofed off · slacked off · lay about · lolled · languished · malingered
fiddled
Toyed idly with
messed around · fooled around · monkeyed · dabbled · noodled · tweaked · finagled · jimmied · futzed · mucked about
dillydallied
Wasted time through indecision
- lollygaggedSpent time aimlessly
- loiteredWaited idly somewhere
- lingeredRemained beyond expected
procrastinated · tarried · shilly-shallied · piddled · frittered · trifled · dallied · puttered · moseyed · idled
wandered
Moved without fixed course
rambled · moseyed · ambled · sauntered · bumbled · floated · strayed · pottered about · knocked about · rattled around
loafed
Was deliberately unproductive
vegetated · slacked · bummed · goofed off · slacked off · lay about · lolled · languished · malingered · shirked
putzedhustled
Moved with urgency
labored · toiled · worked hard · buckled down · applied oneself
putzedorganized
Systematically arranged
cleaned · straightened · tidied · put in order · arranged