twiddle
1 of 2verb
twid·dle ˈtwi-dᵊl 
twiddled; twiddling ˈtwid-liŋ
ˈtwi-dᵊl-iŋ
intransitive verb
1
: to play negligently with something : fiddle
2
: to turn or jounce lightly
twiddles round and round in the water
J. B. S. Haldane
J. B. S. Haldanetransitive verb
: to rotate lightly or idly
twiddled his pen
twiddle
2 of 2noun
: turn, twist
Synonyms
Verb
- diddle (with)
- fiddle (with)
- fool (with)
- mess (with)
- monkey (with)
- play (with)
- tamper (with)
- tinker (with)
- toy (with)
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb Just twiddle the dial on the radio a bit for better reception. Twiddle the knob on the telescope until things are in focus. She twiddled her pen while she talked on the phone. She twiddled with her pen while she talked on the phone.
Recent Examples on the Web Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2022 What if the Suns make a big move, while the Warriors twiddle their thumbs? Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, 9 Feb. 2022 On a humid, rainy afternoon, Susan had demonstrated how to dig a hole for my tomato plant and twiddle it with my fingers so that the roots would crumble. BostonGlobe.com, 24 July 2021 Clayster, with nothing to do but twiddle his Call of Duty thumbs, decides to do a domination art project on the A Flag on Hackney Yard. Sean Collins, Dallas News, 31 Aug. 2020 The perception among some people that DNR employees twiddle their thumbs all day isn’t the case. Star Tribune, 29 Aug. 2020 The pipeline development analysts cannot afford to sit twiddling their thumbs. Eric M. Stone, STAT, 5 June 2020 While athletes all over the world are twiddling their thumbs, she's been rushed off her feet trying to help them get through a period of relentless uncertainty. Don Riddell, CNN, 22 Apr. 2020 Stylistically, the president himself seemed ill at ease in the formal setting, offering a monotone and labored delivery from behind the Resolute Desk, twiddling his thumbs and even, in moments, struggling to read words on the teleprompter. Author: Philip Rucker, Ashley Parker, Josh Dawsey, Anchorage Daily News, 13 Mar. 2020 Thomas Lewton, Quanta Magazine, 23 Aug. 2022 Pilots sit behind a modern avionic dashboard and twiddle control sticks to direct advanced, swiveling engines. Andrew Van Dam, chicagotribune.com, 12 June 2018 See More
Verb
No wonder Elon Musk has the time to twiddle his thumbs on Twitter. Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2022 What if the Suns make a big move, while the Warriors twiddle their thumbs? Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, 9 Feb. 2022 On a humid, rainy afternoon, Susan had demonstrated how to dig a hole for my tomato plant and twiddle it with my fingers so that the roots would crumble. BostonGlobe.com, 24 July 2021 Clayster, with nothing to do but twiddle his Call of Duty thumbs, decides to do a domination art project on the A Flag on Hackney Yard. Sean Collins, Dallas News, 31 Aug. 2020 The perception among some people that DNR employees twiddle their thumbs all day isn’t the case. Star Tribune, 29 Aug. 2020 The pipeline development analysts cannot afford to sit twiddling their thumbs. Eric M. Stone, STAT, 5 June 2020 While athletes all over the world are twiddling their thumbs, she's been rushed off her feet trying to help them get through a period of relentless uncertainty. Don Riddell, CNN, 22 Apr. 2020 Stylistically, the president himself seemed ill at ease in the formal setting, offering a monotone and labored delivery from behind the Resolute Desk, twiddling his thumbs and even, in moments, struggling to read words on the teleprompter. Author: Philip Rucker, Ashley Parker, Josh Dawsey, Anchorage Daily News, 13 Mar. 2020 Noun
Crucially, in the new scheme, all inputs and outputs between simulations of different scales must be consistent, leaving fewer dials to twiddle. Thomas Lewton, Quanta Magazine, 23 Aug. 2022 Pilots sit behind a modern avionic dashboard and twiddle control sticks to direct advanced, swiveling engines. Andrew Van Dam, chicagotribune.com, 12 June 2018 See More Word History
Etymology
Verb
origin unknown
First Known Use
Verb
circa 1540, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1
Noun
1774, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing twiddle
Kids Definition
twiddle
verb
twid·dle ˈtwi-dᵊl
twiddled; twiddling
: twirl entry 1
I twiddled my thumbs.
twiddle one's thumbs
phrase
as in kill time
to spend time doing nothing He twiddled his thumbs in the waiting room before his name was called. Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- kill time
- kick back
- hang about
- lounge
- rest
- lazy
- goof (off)
- veg out
- footle
- idle
- chill
- relax
- bum
- play
- loaf
- kick around
- mess
- drone
- stroll
- poke
- dawdle
- estivate
- dillydally
- muck
- laze
- hang (around or out)
- hack (around)
- loll
- monkey
- fiddle (around)
- linger
- dally
- fool
- putter (around)
- piddle
- hibernate
- potter (around)
- swan
- doze
- lag
- trifle
- saunter
- loiter
- goldbrick
- aestivate
- amble
- mosey
- furlough
- tarry
- truant
- malinger
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- work
- labor
- plow
- slave
- peg
- buckle (down)
- plug
- sweat
- toil
- hump
- apply
- grub
- travail
- grind
- hustle
- drudge
- plod
- exert
- moil
- put out