Twiddle
verb
To move something slightly, often with your fingers.
She twiddled the pencil in her hand while thinking about the problem.
Often appears as...
- twiddle your thumbs
- twiddle a knob
verb
To do nothing while you are waiting.
I've been twiddling my thumbs all day waiting for the delivery.
Often appears as...
- twiddle your thumbs
- twiddle one's thumbs waiting
Usage tips
Disapproving
noun
An action of turning something slightly.
With a quick twiddle of the dial, the radio was tuned in.
Often appears as...
- twiddle of the knob
- twiddle of the dial
verb
To touch or move something to and fro lightly and idly.
You can twiddle the settings to get the desired effect.
Often appears as...
- twiddle the settings
- twiddle parameters
Usage tips
Technical
verb
To move something slightly, often with your fingers.
She twiddled the pencil in her hand while thinking about the problem.
Often appears as...
- twiddle your thumbs
- twiddle a knob
verb
To do nothing while you are waiting.
I've been twiddling my thumbs all day waiting for the delivery.
Often appears as...
- twiddle your thumbs
- twiddle one's thumbs waiting
Usage tips
Disapproving
noun
An action of turning something slightly.
With a quick twiddle of the dial, the radio was tuned in.
Often appears as...
- twiddle of the knob
- twiddle of the dial
verb
To touch or move something to and fro lightly and idly.
You can twiddle the settings to get the desired effect.
Often appears as...
- twiddle the settings
- twiddle parameters
Usage tips
Technical
Definition 1 of 4
Pro Tip 1/3Physical Movement
Typically implies small and repetitive movements with no specific goal or end point.
She absentmindedly twiddled her hair during the lecture.
Pro Tip 2/3Involves Focus
Indicates a person's distraction or deep thought when done unconsciously.
He twiddled a pen between his fingers while solving the puzzle.
Pro Tip 3/3Subtle Adjustment
Can describe fine-tuning something delicate or complex.
The technician twiddled the wires to restore the connection.
Pro Tip 1/3Physical Movement
Typically implies small and repetitive movements with no specific goal or end point.
She absentmindedly twiddled her hair during the lecture.
Pro Tip 2/3Involves Focus
Indicates a person's distraction or deep thought when done unconsciously.
He twiddled a pen between his fingers while solving the puzzle.
Pro Tip 3/3Subtle Adjustment
Can describe fine-tuning something delicate or complex.
The technician twiddled the wires to restore the connection.
Pro Tip 1/3Physical Movement
Typically implies small and repetitive movements with no specific goal or end point.
She absentmindedly twiddled her hair during the lecture.
Pro Tip 2/3Involves Focus
Indicates a person's distraction or deep thought when done unconsciously.
He twiddled a pen between his fingers while solving the puzzle.
Pro Tip 3/3Subtle Adjustment
Can describe fine-tuning something delicate or complex.
The technician twiddled the wires to restore the connection.
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Video examples
Africa is open for...
delivering aid to other Africans it is Africans who are responsible for getting that ate out who do they go to interview what I like to call the floor and savior as somebody recently wrote according to the the Western news media if Africans are in bad situations like Wars or famines they can just twiddle their
Video examples
Compelling Models for...
little red light and one of the hummingbirds a hummingbird in the forest thought oh that's a nice bright light that's be a flower gonna get some nectar so this guy's blind to what's going on he's flying through the thing he's twiddling or to loom this thing land
Video examples
Colin Grant: The son of...
so that when we came home from school at 3:30 in the afternoon, we would huddle beside the TV, and rather like safe-crackers, we would twiddle with the volume control knob on the TV so it was almost inaudible. And at times, when we were like this,
Video examples
Grizzly Bear Gets Too...
like they're going to be twiddling their thumbs there's plenty of other resources here than to tap into there's berry patches and there's other species of salmon spawning a little bit further downstream stream and the bear behind us
Video examples
Africa is open for...
delivering aid to other Africans it is Africans who are responsible for getting that ate out who do they go to interview what I like to call the floor and savior as somebody recently wrote according to the the Western news media if Africans are in bad situations like Wars or famines they can just twiddle their
Video examples
Compelling Models for...
little red light and one of the hummingbirds a hummingbird in the forest thought oh that's a nice bright light that's be a flower gonna get some nectar so this guy's blind to what's going on he's flying through the thing he's twiddling or to loom this thing land
Video examples
Colin Grant: The son of...
so that when we came home from school at 3:30 in the afternoon, we would huddle beside the TV, and rather like safe-crackers, we would twiddle with the volume control knob on the TV so it was almost inaudible. And at times, when we were like this,
Video examples
Grizzly Bear Gets Too...
like they're going to be twiddling their thumbs there's plenty of other resources here than to tap into there's berry patches and there's other species of salmon spawning a little bit further downstream stream and the bear behind us
Example 1 of 4
Quote examples
Adam Conover
American Comedian
On 'Adam Ruins Everything' we do the broadest sketch comedy possible. We do stuff where you can see it immediately and know it's a joke - characters in big silly costumes; here's Uncle Sam and he's twiddling his fingers saying, 'Oh, I'm naughty.
Quote examples
Emily Atack
British Actress
I got really bored of sitting around waiting for work or for the next movie to come along that only 100 people would see. I got bored of being skint, of twiddling my thumbs, wondering how to take my life to the next stage.
Quote examples
Gina Bellman
New Zealander Actress
There is nothing worse than sitting in the make-up trailer knowing that the whole crew are twiddling their thumbs waiting for you to change your hair from straight to curly or up to down. Sometimes it can't be avoided.
Quote examples
Tansy Rayner Roberts
Australian Writer
History is not a long series of centuries in which men did all the interesting/important things and women stayed home and twiddled their thumbs in between pushing out babies, making soup and dying in childbirth.
Quote examples
Sara Paxton
American Actress
I love watching amazing actors and actresses that you can't take your eyes off of because everything they are doing - even if it is just twiddling their thumbs or scratching their eye - it's just interesting.
Quote examples
John Virgo
English Celebrity
When my father retired, all he did was twiddle his thumbs. I don't want to go down that road. As long as I'm still in demand, I'll work.
Quote examples
Matt Bomer
American Actor
I'm blessed to have a family, so it's not like I'm twiddling my thumbs. When I'm not working, that's where all my attention comes.
Quote examples
Mel Brooks
American Comedian
A cinema villain essentially needs a moustache so he can twiddle with it gleefully as he cooks up his next nasty plan.
Quote examples
Sarah Dessen
American Writer
I can't sit and twiddle my thumbs. I have to start writing even if it's miserable some days.
Quote examples
George Perez
American Writer
I always rate a convention by the lack of blisters from twiddling my thumbs.
Quote examples
Adam Conover
American Comedian
On 'Adam Ruins Everything' we do the broadest sketch comedy possible. We do stuff where you can see it immediately and know it's a joke - characters in big silly costumes; here's Uncle Sam and he's twiddling his fingers saying, 'Oh, I'm naughty.
Quote examples
Emily Atack
British Actress
I got really bored of sitting around waiting for work or for the next movie to come along that only 100 people would see. I got bored of being skint, of twiddling my thumbs, wondering how to take my life to the next stage.
Quote examples
Gina Bellman
New Zealander Actress
There is nothing worse than sitting in the make-up trailer knowing that the whole crew are twiddling their thumbs waiting for you to change your hair from straight to curly or up to down. Sometimes it can't be avoided.
Quote examples
Tansy Rayner Roberts
Australian Writer
History is not a long series of centuries in which men did all the interesting/important things and women stayed home and twiddled their thumbs in between pushing out babies, making soup and dying in childbirth.
Quote examples
Sara Paxton
American Actress
I love watching amazing actors and actresses that you can't take your eyes off of because everything they are doing - even if it is just twiddling their thumbs or scratching their eye - it's just interesting.
Quote examples
John Virgo
English Celebrity
When my father retired, all he did was twiddle his thumbs. I don't want to go down that road. As long as I'm still in demand, I'll work.
Quote examples
Matt Bomer
American Actor
I'm blessed to have a family, so it's not like I'm twiddling my thumbs. When I'm not working, that's where all my attention comes.
Quote examples
Mel Brooks
American Comedian
A cinema villain essentially needs a moustache so he can twiddle with it gleefully as he cooks up his next nasty plan.
Quote examples
Sarah Dessen
American Writer
I can't sit and twiddle my thumbs. I have to start writing even if it's miserable some days.
Quote examples
George Perez
American Writer
I always rate a convention by the lack of blisters from twiddling my thumbs.
Example 1 of 10
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