futz
verb
ˈfəts 
futzed; futzing; futzes
intransitive verb
slang
: fool around sense 1 —often used with around
futz around without producing any worthwhile music
John Koegel
John Koegel
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web How refreshing, then, were the novels that didn’t futz about, that simply demanded that readers submit to their vision of things. Sam Sacks, WSJ, 17 Dec. 2021 While the strategy behind the release came with a heightened sense of responsibility owing to Lizzo’s meteoric rise, Reed and his team tried not to futz too much with a winning formula. Chris Eggertsen, Billboard, 2 Sep. 2021 From there, the worms can unleash a slurry of proteins and chemicals that futz with the ant’s core physiology, likely impacting their host’s hormones, immune system, and genes. Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 18 May 2021 And if City Council President Kim Janey wants to futz with the percentage, that’s her prerogative. Shirley Leung, BostonGlobe.com, 19 Feb. 2021 Here every square inch of interior space is acclimatized to a refreshing and humidity-free 72 degrees Fahrenheit—so brisk that some of us futz around wearing sweaters and socks while the outside temperature climbs toward 100. James Nestor, Scientific American, 12 Feb. 2018 The band occasionally stopped futzing around to fine-tune the song. Travis M. Andrews, Washington Post, 29 Aug. 2019 The Alabama Democratic Party — the formal entity, not Democrats generally — is a joke, and the national party is sick of its futzing around. al, 16 Aug. 2019 No xenon to futz with, or wings to flap, or rotors to spin. Matt Simon, WIRED, 4 July 2019 See More
Sam Sacks, WSJ, 17 Dec. 2021 While the strategy behind the release came with a heightened sense of responsibility owing to Lizzo’s meteoric rise, Reed and his team tried not to futz too much with a winning formula. Chris Eggertsen, Billboard, 2 Sep. 2021 From there, the worms can unleash a slurry of proteins and chemicals that futz with the ant’s core physiology, likely impacting their host’s hormones, immune system, and genes. Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 18 May 2021 And if City Council President Kim Janey wants to futz with the percentage, that’s her prerogative. Shirley Leung, BostonGlobe.com, 19 Feb. 2021 Here every square inch of interior space is acclimatized to a refreshing and humidity-free 72 degrees Fahrenheit—so brisk that some of us futz around wearing sweaters and socks while the outside temperature climbs toward 100. James Nestor, Scientific American, 12 Feb. 2018 The band occasionally stopped futzing around to fine-tune the song. Travis M. Andrews, Washington Post, 29 Aug. 2019 The Alabama Democratic Party — the formal entity, not Democrats generally — is a joke, and the national party is sick of its futzing around. al, 16 Aug. 2019 No xenon to futz with, or wings to flap, or rotors to spin. Matt Simon, WIRED, 4 July 2019 See More Word History
Etymology
perhaps part modification, partial translation of Yiddish arumfartsn zikh, literally, to fart around
First Known Use
1911, in the meaning defined above