Twiddle your thumbs
verb phrase
To do nothing while waiting.
He sat twiddling his thumbs while everyone else was busy working.
Often appears as...
- sit and twiddle your thumbs
- just twiddling my thumbs
Usage tips
Informal
Idiomatic
verb phrase
To waste time out of idleness.
She spent the whole afternoon twiddling her thumbs without doing anything productive.
Often appears as...
- spent day twiddling her thumbs
- twiddling thumbs doing nothing
Usage tips
Informal
Idiomatic
verb phrase
To do nothing while waiting.
He sat twiddling his thumbs while everyone else was busy working.
Often appears as...
- sit and twiddle your thumbs
- just twiddling my thumbs
Usage tips
Informal
Idiomatic
verb phrase
To waste time out of idleness.
She spent the whole afternoon twiddling her thumbs without doing anything productive.
Often appears as...
- spent day twiddling her thumbs
- twiddling thumbs doing nothing
Usage tips
Informal
Idiomatic
Definition 1 of 2
Pro Tip 1/3Not Always Negative
The phrase can imply relaxed waiting without stress or urgency.
In the calm clinic, patients twiddle their thumbs, unbothered by the wait.
Pro Tip 2/3Informal Expression
Mainly used in casual conversations, not in formal writing.
When you write an essay, avoid saying 'He twiddled his thumbs'—it's too informal.
Pro Tip 3/3Figurative Speech
People don't always literally twiddle their thumbs; it's often used metaphorically.
Stuck in the airport, I wasn't literally twiddling my thumbs—I read a book.
Pro Tip 1/3Not Always Negative
The phrase can imply relaxed waiting without stress or urgency.
In the calm clinic, patients twiddle their thumbs, unbothered by the wait.
Pro Tip 2/3Informal Expression
Mainly used in casual conversations, not in formal writing.
When you write an essay, avoid saying 'He twiddled his thumbs'—it's too informal.
Pro Tip 3/3Figurative Speech
People don't always literally twiddle their thumbs; it's often used metaphorically.
Stuck in the airport, I wasn't literally twiddling my thumbs—I read a book.
Pro Tip 1/3Not Always Negative
The phrase can imply relaxed waiting without stress or urgency.
In the calm clinic, patients twiddle their thumbs, unbothered by the wait.
Pro Tip 2/3Informal Expression
Mainly used in casual conversations, not in formal writing.
When you write an essay, avoid saying 'He twiddled his thumbs'—it's too informal.
Pro Tip 3/3Figurative Speech
People don't always literally twiddle their thumbs; it's often used metaphorically.
Stuck in the airport, I wasn't literally twiddling my thumbs—I read a book.
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