Piddling

/ˈpɪd.lɪŋ/

Meaning & Definition

verb

To waste time or engage in aimless activity.

Instead of studying, he spent the afternoon piddling around the house.

adjective

Trivial or insignificant; of little importance.

She dismissed his concerns as piddling and not worthy of her time.

Petty or small-scale.

They wasted hours arguing over piddling details in the contract.

Mid 19th century, likely from the verb piddle, which means to waste time.

piddling around:

To waste time doing unimportant things.

piddling tasks:

Small, insignificant tasks that do not require much effort.

piddling amounts:

Very small amounts, often referring to money.

To engage in monotonous or trivial activity.

He spent all day piddling instead of making progress.

To mess around without any serious intention.

Quit piddling and let’s get serious about this project.